Chile Shows How Constitutional Reform Should Be Done—and Why It’s Insufficient

Chile Shows How Constitutional Reform Should Be Done—and Why It’s Insufficient
Indigenous Constituent Assembly representatives celebrate after the final vote on constitutional reforms, Santiago, Chile, June 14, 2022 (AP photo by Esteban Felix).

After a messy and controversial drafting process that had to be extended by three months, the text of Chiles new constitution is mostly finalized. The final document is overly long, and many of its key promises will require substantial legislative guidance to determine how they should be implemented. Many on the political right feel as if they have been left out of the process, in part due to their own failures when the Constitutional Assembly drafting the document was elected. Meanwhile, many on the far left feel that the proposed constitution makes too many compromises and doesnt go far enough in terms of economic and social reforms.

In spite of all these perceived shortcomings, the new constitution is likely to be approved when voters decide its fate in a referendum this September. While polls show voters narrowly rejecting the new constitution, they are trending back toward approval.

Whatever they decide, Chiles process for constitutional reform should be a model for similar efforts across the hemisphere, as its far better than many of the alternatives that have come before. If it is passed, however, its ultimate success will depend on whether advocates for the reforms the constitution promises remain engaged and organized in politics over the long run.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review