ABSTRACT
Constitutions define the basic parameters of a polity. For that reason constitutional change – through amendments and replacements – should have an impact on the institutional design and quality of a democratic political system. This should be especially the case with regard to the constitutions related to new constitutionalism. Many scholars of the new Latin American constitutionalism highlight the potential for innovative constitutional provisions to produce emancipatory social and political transformations, particularly regarding human rights, citizen participation and redistributive justice.
