Why Play by the Rules? Constitutionalism and Democratic Institutionalization in Ecuador and Uruguay

This article argues that constitutionalism and democratic institutionalization are linked, and that variations in progress toward institutionalized democracy are explained by incentives for political actors to comply with constitutional constraints on their power and to cooperate in governing. The analysis examines the impact of incentives generated by political institutions on Ecuador and Uruguay's contrasting experiences in institutionalizing democracy. A new classification of survival provisions is proposed which isolates the impact of these rules on the degree of cooperation in governing.
Keywords: Executive/President/Prime Minister, Term Limits, Removal, Legislature/Legislative, Term Length and Limits, Removal/Resignation/Replacement, Democracy, Structure of Government, Electoral System, Political Party/Political Parties, Academic Article, Example.