Structural injustice mechanisms versus democratic mechanisms: systemic approach and constitutionalism

Abstract

The text contrasts the use of the expression “mechanisms” to refer to practices or institutions that perpetuate structural injustices against other practices that pursue democratic effects. Despite the mechanistic terminology they employ, it is argued that Robert Goodin and Adrian Vermeule agree on using a pragmatic approach that emphasizes the agency of individuals, countering functionalist methodological perspectives. In this sense, their work can be aligned with studies on deliberative systems driven by John Parkinson and Jane Mansbridge to explain the development of democracy in complex societies. The purpose is to explore adjustments in those mechanisms to make them more equitable.