Hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets in recent weeks from Chile and Colombia to Lebanon and Iraq. Transport hubs have been destroyed, stores looted, and government institutions attacked. Dozens have been killed. The immediate causes of the protests have been diverse, ranging from price hikes to rumored changes in laws affecting rights and … [Read more...] about When Inequality is Baked into the System
#Constitutions
Reforming Constitutions: A Pandora’s Box
In March 1990, some 2 million Colombians cast a symbolic vote during elections demanding a new constitution. The vote followed a harrowing year of guerrilla, paramilitary and drug trafficking violence. Three presidential candidates had been assassinated, and many people argued that only a new national charter, creating a more inclusive, representative and decentralized … [Read more...] about Reforming Constitutions: A Pandora’s Box
Fiscal Discipline: Can Constitutions Help?
By Mark Hallerberg Recently, there has been renewed interest in incorporating fiscal rules directly into constitutions. In 2012, the signatories of the so-called "Fiscal Compact" in Europe were expected to introduce a balanced budget rule that would "preferably (have) constitutional provisions." Those signatories included 25 of the current 28 member states of the European … [Read more...] about Fiscal Discipline: Can Constitutions Help?
Chile’s Constitutional Reform: IDB Seminar Aims to Get It Right
Since the late 1980s, numerous Latin American countries have ushered in sweeping new constitutions to forge more inclusive, representative and just societies. In some places, like Brazil and Argentina, these constitutions have helped turn the page on the past and complete the transition from dictatorship to democracy. In others, like Colombia, they have targeted sources of … [Read more...] about Chile’s Constitutional Reform: IDB Seminar Aims to Get It Right