Democratization and inclusion: what women’s enfranchisement tells us about the second wave of democracy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Most Latin American countries enfranchised women during the second wave of democracy. But how did this expansion of participation relate to other dimensions of democracy? In this essay, I use Robert Dahl’s two dimensions of democracy and evaluate what women’s inclusion tells us about democratization during this period. Using 14 countries as base for this analysis, I make three central claims: First, I present data on moments of expansion of inclusion and increased competitiveness and whether they coincided, confirming the late 1940s as the most significant period of democratization as both dimensions often advanced together. Second, I identify sequences of democratization based on whether contestation came before, at the same time, or after the expansion of participation to women and the characteristics of each of these sequences. Based on these sequences, I identify a revolutionary path, a democratic path, and an authoritarian path to women’s suffrage. Finally, using methodological notions of the trivialness and importance of necessary conditions, I conceptualize the dimensions of democratization and argue that the relative importance of inclusiveness has varied over time.