Social rights and rejection of constitutional proposals in Chile

Abstract

During the period 2019-2023, two processes took place in Chile that sought to approve a new constitutional text. This theoretical scope essay aims to contribute to answering the question regarding the reasons that would have explained the rejection of both constitutional proposals. 3 working conceptual hypotheses are established from approaches that can provide some explanatory dimensions: a) the change in both the correlations of force and the interpretive framework; b) the limits and contradictions of participatory mechanisms; and c) the pre-existing society-political gap that both processes could not close. The article cites empirical works to illustrate and discuss the hypotheses raised, although the need to delve into empirical research that allows addressing a multifactorial question that has not yet been fully resolved by the social sciences is noted. The idea is concluded that the constitutionalization of social rights would not have been an important reason that led to pushing a majority group of voters to reject both constitutional texts, but that these would rather be in the form in which they were carried out. Carry out the process as well as the intensity and treatment of social rights.