Popular Constitutionalism and Forms of Democracy

Abstract

This article describes the crisis of representative democracy, and the need to bolster modalities of direct, participatory, deliberative and communitarian democracy in order to overcome the rift between the governed and the government. A brief overview of some current constitutional models underlines the fact that critical and popular modes of constitutionalism are absent in Mexico. The conclusion of the article evaluates and critiques the instruments of direct and communitarian democracy that were inscribed into Mexico City’s recently approved local Constitution.