Enhancing Democracy

Gonzalo Delamaza is a Chilean sociologist and Professor at the University of Los Lagos, Chile. He has actively participated in the design and evaluation of many social programs implemented by NGOs in cooperation with the Chilean government. He is the author of several books and articles on public policy and democracy in Chile, including Tan lejos tan cerca: políticas públicas y sociedad civil en Chile (2005).

• List of TablesAcknowledgementsAcronymsIntroduction: The Question of Democracy in a Democratic SocietyChapter 1. Construction of Democracy, Public Policies and Participation of Civil SocietyChapter 2. Chile: Top-Down Modernization and Low Intensity Re-DemocratizationChapter 3. Social Policy Agendas in the Transition to DemocracyChapter 4. Civil Society, Public Policy Networks and Participatory InitiativesChapter 5. From the Civil Society to the State: A New Elite is Born?Conclusion: Participation and Public Policies in the Chilean Democratic ProcessReferencesIndex

“Qualities of the book are the thorough, well-documented accounts of these various dimensions of a manacled democratization that ended up in a failed inclusion of Chile’s disadvantaged sectors.” · Anthropos“[This book] frames the Chilean case nicely in the context of theories of democratization, democracy, and the case for political participation in democracy.  It will clarify our thinking about the many different modalities of participation….This is a huge advance and contribution to the debate.  And, of course, the book makes a very significant, unique empirical contribution to understanding the state of political participation by civil society in Chile.”  ·  Eduardo Silva, Tulane University“This is an excellent book, both in terms of its theoretical discussion and of the analysis of empirical data. The analysis it presents is careful and comprehensive, covering a large number of relevant questions related to its main theme: citizen participation and its role in enhancing democracy and in the formulation of public policies. It combines historical perspective, contextual dimensions, empirical research and excellent theoretical tools.”  ·  Evelina Dagnino, University of Campinas