Narrative democracy: notes on (the failure of) Chile's constituent process

Abstract

Democracies today face intensifying political polarization over the principles and values that should structure social life. Amid interconnected global crises, public discourse is saturated with narratives which depict democracy as rapidly degenerating or nearing collapse. This article proposes to shift the focus away from the dominant narratives of democratic crisis to a less visible yet equally urgent phenomenon: the crisis of the democratic narrative itself. What is the value of narratives in democracy? Which stories can become shared accounts of collective life and which deepen fragmentation? What happens when the democratic narrative loses its audience, cannot be heard, or is weaponized against the very ideals of democratic life? To explore these questions, this article examines the puzzling experience of the failed Chilean constituent process and the stories that circulated about its democratic worth and purpose. Drawing on this case, it invites a reconsideration of democracy as a narrative achievement whose vitality depends on our ability to tell, hear, and confront diverse stories. The failure of Chile's constitutional project underscores a broader challenge: contesting the narratives that threaten democracy's existence but also making room for those that can repair the damaged fabric of our shared social worlds.