Andean Left Turns: Constituent Power and Constitution Making

Abstract

Cameron and Sharpe begin with the observation that Latin American left turns have occurred within the framework of electoral democracy, and that the concerns about the ‘illiberalism’ of the left (or indeed of some Latin American democracies generally) are belied by a remarkable commitment to constitutionalism on the part of precisely those leaders who have emerged in countries where liberal and republican institutions have historically been most weak: the Andes. Yet the commitment to constitutionalism can limit the possibilities for fundamental reform. Cameron and Sharpe see the allure of ‘constituent power’ as a formula for attempting ‘foundational’ change without revolutionary violence, but also stress the dilemma that such change must, they argue, of necessity be negotiated with other political forces that retain electoral resources and legitimacy—and thus are also entitled to their share of constituent power.