Citizen Participation in the First Constitutional Activation of Direct Democracy Mechanisms in Mexico

Abstract

The mechanisms of direct democracy involve the participation through voting, from the legal forms of enquiry such as referendum, plebiscite, revocation of mandate, though it can include other graded definitions that go from the minimalist to wider conceptions such as the intervention in fiscal resources and the civic audit. The legal system ensures order. Legal models are the first step to move on to the institutionalized use of DDM as a possibility of influence of the governed ones on public decisions. The ways to influence are different in each country, not only because of the legal model in its government levels, but also because of the citizenship and its characteristics, product of the historical context of construction of the state which brings distinctive features for its use. Can political power be shared? And what is the purpose? The mechanisms of direct democracy in the south of the continent with the exception of Chile and Uruguay, have been institutionalized due to political circumstances of social conflict (as in Bolivia and Ecuador), because of scarce social movilization (like Argentina and Peru), because of low institutional instability (as occurred in Colombia), medium (like Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina), and high (Ecuador and Peru), and just in Bolivia the clear incorporation took place due to a social demand. In this sense, What DDM are useful for? And for whom? Is it possible to influence public decisions based on the DDM? Legislating direct democracy mechanisms and activating them is not enough to give a sense of civic empowerment to these forms of participatory democracy. The method used is qualitative documentary, based on analysis of the political, legal, social, institutional, electoral dimensions, with the help of geographic information systems (GIS).