The impact of ideas on the formulation stage of indigenous policies during Chile's democratic transition
The impact of ideas on the formulation stage of indigenous policies during Chile's democratic transition
Authors
Arellano González, Juan
Huisca Cheuquefilo, Eugenia
Huisca Cheuquefilo, Eugenia
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Date
Datos de publicación:
CANADIAN JOURNAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES,Vol.44,62-82,2019
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Abstract
In 1993, three years after Chile's democratic transition, Law 19.253, legally recognizing the existence of indigenous people, was passed. Nevertheless, for this bill to become law, it had to compete with other policy ideas such as 'autonomist' and 'assimilationist' policy proposals. It is stated that the idea of recognition was strategically framed under the call for national unity that pervaded the democratic transition. We trace the path followed by the competing ideas, applying the approach of policy diffusion. Results reveal significant foreign influence within the formulation stage of indigenous policies, not only in Chile but also in other parts of Latin America. Furthermore, we find that the idea of recognition, although more moderate than expected, was more suitable for a period where democracy was still fragile.