New institutions for participatory democracy in Latin America

By Kenneth Evan Sharpe, Eric Hershberg, Cameron, Maxwell A.

Subjects: Politics and government, Case studies, Political culture, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Elections, Democracy, Political parties, latin america, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, Local government, Case studies.., POLITICAL SCIENCE / Government / Comparative, Citizen participation, Political participation

Description: "The proliferation of new mechanisms for participation in Latin American democracies and considers the relationship between direct participation and the consolidation of representative institutions based on traditional electoral conceptions of democracy. Encompassing case studies of Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the book draws on original fieldwork to assess how institutions operate in practice, thus illuminating the conditions under which direct participation enhances broader aims of democratic participation. In so doing, it conveys fresh perspectives on the quality of democracy in Latin America today and about future prospects for deepening democratic citizenship"--