ABSTRACT
This article compares the participatory institutions developed by the national governments of Brazil and Venezuela. Faced as they are with distinct structures of opportunities that limit or grant them authority, these two governments must also deal with their different institutional legacies. With contrasting approaches in the proposed methods for the strengthening of democracy defended by these forces, a variety of institutions are derived from this range of differences, which are interpreted based on the delimiting of the three units of analysis: target audience, effectiveness, and elements of representation. The characteristics of each case are primarily approached based on a review of literature on the topic, and also considered in light of field work on Venezuela. To conclude, two distinct patterns are outlined for each of the units of analysis.
participatory democracy; left wing; Latin America; participatory institutions; progressive governments