The Commune as Popular Incorporation in the Political Arena

• In Event: The Communal State and the Quest of Inclusion in Venezuela: Theoretical Debates and Empirical Challenges

Abstract

The commune may be thought of as an administrative unit of the state, an economic unit, the territorially defined experience of direct democracy and freedom, or all of the above. However, it is also an expression of popular sector incorporation into the political arena. This paper will characterize the mode of incorporation the Venezuelan commune offers beyond questions of their relative autonomy or capture by the state. It will focus on the commune as a system of interest intermediation between the state and the popular sectors.

Author

• Eduardo Silva, Tulane University