Democracy

Abstract

This chapter argues that democracy, and its contested meanings and practices, provides a window into understanding the geographical relationship between power and space in Latin America. It is divided into four sections. The first provides a historical overview of democratization across the region, highlighting key moments and places in its evolution, noting its geographical unevenness. The second explores how the nation-state has been key to popular imaginaries over democracy, and here we take the example of populism as it has been developed by the Argentine Peronist movement. The third section considers how processes of decentralization have re-scaled the political institutions of democracy, paying special attention to the process of shaping a multinational democracy and intercultural citizenship in the government of Evo Morales in Bolivia. The final section takes stock of recent debates on civil society and participation, considering examples from Southern Cone cities.