Democracy, Constitution and Party: Towards a Marxist critique of the liberal conception of democracy

Abstract

This paper aims to develop a critique of the liberal conception of democracy and present a scientific conception of that category based on Marxism. To achieve this goal, it is analysed the roles that constitutionalism and the party form play in the configuration of capitalist and socialist states, as well as the way in which these elements influence the understanding of political regimes as “democracies” or “dictatorships”. To develop this work, historical materialism was adopted as a theoretical-methodological framework, using research with a theoretical-normative profile, with a qualitative approach and inductive reasoning. The research technique used is bibliographic review, and theoretical articles and books are used as research sources. It was concluded that the way in which political power is consolidated, whether by constitutionalism or by the Leninist party, influences the perception of democracy, in which on the one hand an electoralist regime is established, whose rules are guaranteed by the Constitution, and on the other a regime of direct democracy is established, led by the party, with an emphasis on seeking to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the population. This paper aims to contribute to the construction of a critical and scientific notion of democracy, which involves the population both in its execution and in the enjoyment of its attributes.