The Rule of law, governance and democracy in Uruguay

Abstract

Defined broadly, the purpose of the present paper is to address the functioning of democracy in Uruguay, especially in the characteristics of the Rule of Law. While this is not an analysis of current events, it is focused on the Frente Amplio government in Uruguay (2005-2010). This article has two parts and an epilogue.In the first part, we establish some substantive aspect of the contemporary debate about democracy, addressing the requirements of a minimalist democracy, alongside those more complex involving a quality democracy.

In the second part, we present the main characteristic of the democracy in Uruguay, with special emphasis on the functioning of the Rule of Law. Finally, we present a set of conclusions about the risky areas and worrying elements for the governance that are possible to identify in the functioning of the contemporary Uruguayan democracy.