Beyond the broadest mechanisms of democratic participation (voting and political parties) there are a vast array of different ways that citizens can participate in the business of making decisions that will affect their lives. This article examines some of those mechanisms in Chile through the lens of citizen participation. The paper develops -and then critically analyses, within the context of Chilean politics- three broad categories of institutions: legislative branch inclusion (the institutional arrangements and mechanisms which provide access points for non-state actors into the legislative process); executive branch inclusion (ways in which citizens can interact directly with the executive branch); and legal institutions (laws and legal rules which promote monitoring of public activities, transparency and participation though legal channels). In addition, two final categories touch upon questions of access to information; and what are called here "soapbox rules", or institutions which foster the use of public spaces.