Modern Constitutionalism and the Limits of State Power in Contemporary Democracies
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Modern constitutionalism constitutes a legal and political framework aimed at limiting state power, safeguarding fundamental rights, and ensuring a balance among authority, institutional oversight, and democratic legitimacy. This study sought to analyze its foundations, mechanisms of constraint, and challenges in the face of contemporary processes of power concentration. An exploratory literature review was conducted using a qualitative approach, a documentary design, and analytical-synthetic reasoning; books, scientific articles, and specialized documents in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were examined, organized through a thematic matrix, and assessed according to their relevance, conceptual consistency, and contribution to the research problem. The findings showed that the effectiveness of constitutional limits depends not only on the formal existence of legal norms, but also on institutional autonomy, the effective separation of powers, the protection of rights, and the operation of accountability mechanisms. Executive aggrandizement, institutional capture, political polarization, abusive constitutionalism, and the strategic use of legality were also identified as factors that weaken constitutional safeguards. It is concluded that democratic resilience requires a complementary network of oversight mechanisms, independent institutions, transparency, citizen participation, freedom of information, and sustained practices of political self-restraint.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Arcos-Chaparro, I. A., & Epia-Silva, M. A. (2024). La transverzalización del debido proceso en las relaciones laborales particulares. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 4(2), 17–43. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v4/n2/100
Barahona-Martinez, G. E., Barzola-Plúas, Y. G., & Peñafiel-Muñoz, L. V. (2024). El Derecho a la Protección de Datos y el Avance de las Nuevas Tecnologías en Ecuador: Implicaciones Legales y Éticas. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 4(3), 46–64. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v4/n3/113
Barzola-Plúas, Y. G. (2022). Reformas constitucionales en Ecuador: Impacto y perspectivas. Revista Científica Zambos, 1(1), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.69484/rcz/v1/n1/23
Bermeo, N. (2016). On democratic backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 27(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2016.0012
Bonilla Alarcón, L. A., Rojas-Montero, M. E., Llanos-García, R. V., Ocampo-Valle, G. F., Bonilla Fierro, L. F., & Calero Brito, E. E. (2025). La justicia constitucional como garante del derecho a una educación de calidad. Editorial Grupo AEA. https://doi.org/10.55813/egaea.l.123
Bonilla-Morejón, D. M. (2023). Derecho Penal y Políticas de Seguridad en Ecuador: Análisis de la Eficacia. Revista Científica Zambos, 2(3), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.69484/rcz/v2/n3/50
Bonilla-Morejón, D. M., Calles-Soto, D. M., Núñez-Ribadeneyra, R. A., Mora-Estrada, I. A., Torres-Ortiz, J. V., Navarrete-Valladolid, M. I., Martínez-Tapia, J. D., & Yánez-Erazo, T. F. (2025). Más allá del texto: Derechos humanos y constitucionales en Ecuador. Editorial Grupo AEA. https://doi.org/10.55813/egaea.l.125
Brinks, D. M., & Blass, A. (2017). Rethinking judicial empowerment: The new foundations of constitutional justice. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 15(2), 296–331. https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mox045
Cueva-Vera, C. M., Vera-Merchán, S. A., Castro-Morales, S., & Alfonso-Caveda, D. (2025). Mediación laboral en Ecuador: revisión crítica del marco normativo, formación y cultura mediadora. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 5(3), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v5/n3/199
Dixon, R., & Landau, D. (2015). Transnational constitutionalism and a limited doctrine of unconstitutional constitutional amendment. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 13(3), 606–638. https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/mov039
Estrada-Ayre, C. P., & Porras-Sarmiento, S. (2025). Responsabilidad civil: Análisis del fenómeno indemnizativo en los tribunales de justicia de Huancavelica. Editorial Grupo AEA. https://doi.org/10.55813/egaea.l.118
García Moreno, M., & Vargas Fonseca, A. D. (2023). Restitución de derechos territoriales y ordenamiento ambiental en territorios étnicos en Colombia. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 3(3), 76–96. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v3/n3/74
Ginsburg, T., & Huq, A. Z. (2018). How to save a constitutional democracy. University of Chicago Press.
Grillo, E., Luo, Z., Nalepa, M., & Prato, C. (2024). Theories of democratic backsliding. Annual Review of Political Science, 27, 381–400. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-041322-025352
Grimm, D. (2016). Constitutionalism: Past, present, and future. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198766124.001.0001
Huq, A. Z., & Ginsburg, T. (2018). How to lose a constitutional democracy. UCLA Law Review, 65(1), 78–169. https://www.uclalawreview.org/lose-constitutional-democracy/
Landau, D. (2013). Abusive constitutionalism. UC Davis Law Review, 47(1), 189–260. https://lawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/archives/47/1/abusive-constitutionalism
Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How democracies die. Crown.
Llanos-García, R. V., Ocampo-Valle, G. F., Bonilla-Fierro, L. F., & Calero-Brito, E. E. (2025). Jurisprudencia educativa como pilar de la equidad y el acceso al derecho a la educación. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 5(2), 51-66. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v5/n2/188
Lührmann, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2019). A third wave of autocratization is here: What is new about it? Democratization, 26(7), 1095–1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2019.1582029
Mendoza-Armijos, H. E., Camacho-Medina, B. M., & García-Segarra, H. G. (2023). Análisis de la justicia restaurativa como alternativa al sistema penal tradicional en América Latina. Revista Científica Ciencia Y Método, 1(3), 58-69. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v1/n3/20
Mina-Bone, S. G. (2024). Evolución del derecho penal económico frente a los delitos financieros digitales. Revista Científica Ciencia Y Método, 2(3), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v2/n3/50
Moreno-Sacón, V. C., & García-Segarra, H. G. (2025). Independencia judicial en Ecuador y los desafíos frente al control del Consejo de la Judicatura. Journal of Economic and Social Science Research, 5(2), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/jessr/v5/n2/192
Nord, M., Altman, D., Fernandes, T., Good God, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2026). Democracy report 2026: Unraveling the democratic era? V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. https://www.v-dem.net/publications/democracy-reports/
Núñez-Ribadeneyra, R. A. (2023). Derechos humanos y justicia social en el contexto ecuatoriano. Revista Científica Zambos, 2(3), 42–58. https://doi.org/10.69484/rcz/v2/n3/49
Pita-Arizaga, A. E. (2024). Integración de la perspectiva de género en la jurisprudencia constitucional latinoamericana. Revista Científica Ciencia y Método, 2(4), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v2/n4/49
Pita-Arizaga, A. E. (2024). Integración de la perspectiva de género en la jurisprudencia constitucional latinoamericana. Revista Científica Ciencia Y Método, 2(4), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v2/n4/49
Pita-Arizaga, A. E. (2025). Retos legales en la implementación de la economía circular y su impacto en el derecho ambiental. Revista Científica Ciencia Y Método, 3(1), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v3/n1/34
Samaniego-Quiguiri, D. P. (2023). Acceso a la Justicia y Equidad en el Sistema Legal Ecuatoriano. Revista Científica Zambos, 2(2), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.69484/rcz/v2/n2/45
Samaniego-Quiguiri, D. P., & Bonilla-Morejón, D. M. . (2024). Análisis de la Evolución del Derecho Constitucional en Ecuador: Implicaciones para el Desarrollo Democrático. Revista Científica Zambos, 3(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.69484/rcz/v3/n3/53
Samaniego-Quiguiri, D. P., Rivera Arregui, G. E., García-Fierro, M. N., Toscano-Broncano, F. H., Lara-Palomino, M. A. de J., Pástor-Guevara, J. C., Vallejo-Chiliquinga, J. A., Lara-Saltos, C. A., & Thelmo-Fernando, Y. E. (2025). El Derecho Notarial y la protección de los derechos fundamentales en la familia, el patrimonio y la autonomía personal: Análisis doctrinal y modelos notariales en el ordenamiento jurídico ecuatoriano. Editorial Grupo AEA. https://doi.org/10.55813/egaea.l.129
Scheppele, K. L. (2018). Autocratic legalism. The University of Chicago Law Review, 85(2), 545–584. https://lawreview.uchicago.edu/print-archive/autocratic-legalism
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Waldron, J. (2013). Separation of powers in thought and practice? Boston College Law Review, 54(2), 433–468. https://bclawreview.bc.edu/articles/702