The debate on democratic theory and their relevance in Latin America

Abstract

This article describes two concepts of democracy: The substantivist and the proceduralist concepts. During the last three decades, the debate on Latin American democratic theory has been dominated by a thin Lockean definition, which is inadequately applied to understand Latin American reality. Also, this article demonstrates the weaknesses of the institutional concept of democracy developed by Robert Dahl, Samuel P. Huntington and Karen L. Remmer when applied to Latin America. There is also an alternative view called substantivist approach, which might be a better academic tool to study Latin American societies. Among those who sustain this view are John Rawls, Ken Newton, Roland Pennock, Christian Anglade and John Gledhill.