Caesarism, passive revolution, and the state: Insights from Rafael Correa’s government in Ecuador (2007–2017)

Abstract

Over the last decade, the concept of passive revolution has been central in the Neo-Gramscian academic production. However, the role of the state in this type of political junctures has not received enough attention, neither in relation to the embedded class struggles nor on the impact these have had in the processes of ‘conservation-innovation’ that, according to Gramsci, are featured in passive revolutions. This article aims to contribute to such literature gap by bringing forth theoretical insights from Nicos Poulantzas and Kees Van der Pijl regarding ‘state autonomy’ and using them for the analysis of a recent political process, which several scholars label as a passive revolution: Rafael Correa’s government in Ecuador (2007–2017). The article suggests that the latter should be understood as a case of Caesarism, and more specifically, a political intervention of Ecuador’s cadres, aimed to break a ‘catastrophic equilibrium’ in the confrontation between the country’s power block and its contending anti-neoliberal coalition.