Chilean constitutional plebiscite lessons analyzed

Four years after the September 4 plebiscite in Chile, an analysis by Gustavo Campos, Vice Dean of Economy and Government at Universidad Central, examines the institutional lessons of the event. While the 62% rejection vote was decisive, it did not establish a permanent new political divide, as subsequent elections showed the majority was transversal and contingent rather than a fixed political identity.

The outcome signaled the decline of ‘baroque constitutionalism’—the concept that a constitution should address an exhaustive range of social demands and public policies. Instead, the analysis suggests that mature democracies require robust rules that limit power while remaining open enough to allow successive majorities to govern differently.

Furthermore, the event highlighted the risks of institutional change. The analysis concludes that lasting constitutions are not those where a single majority dictates all terms, but those where different majorities can recognize one another, emphasizing the fundamental importance of political agreements and self-restraint.