A Problematic New Constitution in Chile: A Message to Divided Democracies

Alex starts with an update on Ukraine. Then he discusses how a flawed constitution is being drafted in Chile and the Economist says that “Chile’s old constitution was hardly perfect. Indeed, it has been amended nearly 60 times. But compared with its proposed replacement, it is a paragon of clarity.” In 2019, following the violent protests in Chile over inequality, rising prices, and political corruption, the former center-right government agreed on creating a new constitutional assembly to draft a new constitution. The old constitution was created during the dictatorship of Pinochet and many blame it for the systemic issues in the country. Alex discusses how the new one is problematic because it is idealistic, vague, contradictory, and written by assembly members that are part of social movements and not political parties. There are many ideas with no definitions, new agencies without plans, and costly programs without any economic feasibility. Alex worries that this will cause legal infighting for years over vague terms and legal theories. Ultimately, this is a warning sign to other democracies. It is almost impossible to create a new constitution in a divided and polarized society. Alex uses an article from the University of Chicago to highlight why divisive times are not prime moments for creating a new constitution.