In a long-standing scenario of disenchantment with democracy and increased distrust in representative institutions, democratic innovations promise to bring citizens back in and restore their “democratic faith”, as John Dewey would call it. Democratic innovations are not only meant to expand the opportunities for citizens to participate, they are also said to further include citizens in the outcomes of the political process. In Latin America, where democratic innovations have been finding a fertile soil to grow, this seems to be especially true, as this paper aims at demonstrating. Governments associated with the so-called “left turn” have been experimenting with new democratic means in order to achieve social ends, seeking to promote equality and inclusion beyond its political meaning. This paper draws on few examples and argues that democratic innovations not simply expand the opportunities for participation of citizens, but benefit new groups with more inclusive and responsive policies.
