Timely and unique, this innovative volume provides a critical examination of the role of civil society and its relation to the state throughout left-led Latin American. Featuring a broad range of case studies from across the region - from the Bolivian constitution to participative budgeting in Brazil to the "communal councils" in Venezuela - the book examines to what extent these new initiatives are redefining state-civil society relations. Does the return of an active state in Latin America imply the incorporation of civil society representatives in decision-making processes? Is the new Left delivering on the promise of participatory democracy and a redefinition of citizenship, or are we witnessing a new democratic deficit?A wide-ranging analysis of a vital issue - both for Latin America and beyond.