Rights, Representation and the Rising Quality of Democracy in Brazil and Chile
Keywords:
quality of democracy, freedom, rights, inequality, accountability, responsiveness, representationAbstract
This article asks what contributes to democratic quality, how it can be measured, and whichdimensions matter for public support in Latin America. It examines the components of democracyin two countries, Brazil and Chile, along two dimensions: rights (liberties, law,and equality) and representation (accountability, responsiveness, competition, and participation).The article finds that democracy in Chile is less violent, more effective, cleaner, andfairer than it is in Brazil, but it is also less responsive, accountable, and representative.The article suggests that accountability, responsiveness, and competition stimulate greatercitizen participation and loyalty to democracy than good government outputs or eventhe protection of rights. It concludes by arguing that democratic quality is not permanentlyconstrained by the mode of transition and institutional design but can be improvedby the strategic decisions of political actors.
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