The Extension of Suffrage in the Uruguay of 1915: an Agreed Juncture

Abstract

While popular election of political authorities is the fundamental principle of democracies, the recognition of universal male suffrage is one of the inescapable requirements of contemporary democratic political systems. In this context, the reform of the Electoral Act of 1915 in Uruguay was the first step towards the full democratization of the political system. Specifically, the article analyzes the causes of the widening of the margins of political citizenship in an instance conducive to social upheaval –given the clash between antagonistic interests– and the particular mode of handling conflict. The article shows that the Uruguayan case resembles that of an agreed juncture characterized by marginalization of conflict and the centrality of political parties.