Fragmented Societies & Political Representation in Latin America

Social Inequities have characterized the Americas since colonial times. Democratization and social mobilization have both expanded citizenship and produced backlash expanding the political arena both at the macro and micro levels. As a result, democratic representation is challenged by the emergence of new groups and the reorganization of others along with the inability of existing institutional actors to adapt to these societal changes. This panel brings scholars based in Latin America, Europe, and the US to discuss the (dis)connection between citizens and organized actors with the systems of democratic representation in Latin America including adaptation to new challenges, reaction to institutional failures, and societal backlash.