Political Action and Coalitional Dynamics: Institutional Change During the 1991 Constituent Process

Abstract

The 1991 National Constituent Assembly in Colombia marked a turning point in the country's democratic system, brought about by a series of reforms and institutional changes. These changes arose from the various complex social processes that the country went through in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

To explain this institutional change, Buquet's theoretical model was used, using the categories of analysis of declining and ascending coalitions. These categories refer, respectively, to the traditional parties of the two-party system (Liberal and Conservative) and to the ascendant forces (social movements, guerrillas and citizenship). According to the theoretical premise, at a critical juncture, the dominant actors tend to generate inclusive reforms, such as the 1991 Constitution, to avoid being displaced from political competition. 

Methodologically, a qualitative design was employed, using the process tracing tool. In addition, as a complementary methodological tool to the process tracing, a historical analysis of the participation of social movements in a large-scale political process was carried out.