Democratizando a Integração? Democracia e Representação Política no MERCOSUL (1985 – 2013).

Abstract

The work presented here and developed is the result of a research -level academic master's degree in Political Science, concentrating on the study of democracy and, specifically, in the democratization of integration of the Common Market of the South Accordingly we sought to identify, through the historical - dialectical method, the process of emergence of the integration project of the Southern Cone in the more general context of relations in the international system of states and transformations and contradictions produced by ascending recent Globalization. Objectively, find and characterize the rise of democracy and political representation as value and relevant to the conduct and development of the regionalization process practice, using for this purpose, indirect documentary analysis of the content of the standards and guidelines issued by the body along these sense. He measured up so that MERCOSUR was formed absorbing and adapting diverse experiences and existing models that although traditionally have the political centrality of national his first avenue of approach and coordination executives admit, over the development of the processes, the assumption representative and democratizing elements as mechanisms of social and political legitimacy. But a line under, functionality and purpose of democracy between political society and social organizations and representatives to have this democratic increment is required. The specific democratic development of MERCOSUR over the years was marked by advances and setbacks conditioned by geopolitical circumstances inherent to the perspective of the actors involved as the project itself, as well as the wider historical circumstances of international relations and hegemonic projects and sub-regional. Thus, it was only in its second decade of existence that MERCOSUR has significantly expanded the democratization process of the integration project, both through established standards and protocols that greater autonomy and political potential to block, to reinforce the exploitation of the process through representative organizations set up in its institutional structure. Thus, although MERCOSUR is a process of regionalization still heavily centralized decisions of the national executive, democratic development and the changes instituted in the last decade has achieved - through different perspectives of action - raising the internal debate, highlight and give guidelines and issues broader and more pluralistic political and social.