This analysis debates and compare the theories of democracy and citizenship in the works of Guillermo O Donnell and Étienne Balibar from their respective books, namely, democracia, agência e estado: teoria com intenção comparativa (O donnell , g. 2010) and ciudadanía (Balibar, É. 2012). I examine both theories, one liberal and the other radically democratic, based on the common or divergent approaches of each author. some concepts and perspectives are particularly relevant, such as state, individuality, exclusion, globalization, bureaucracy, representation, conflict, among others. nevertheless, due to the vast theoretical background of the authors and the close dialogue that their theories keeps with the works taken as reference by the authors, this work develops deeply these structural readings of the respective theories. It s objective reveals the discrepancies and common ideas of such traditional divergent perspectives,however, in preference for the Balibarian radical critique, bringing out it s counter-hegemonic aspects against the liberal route of O Donnell. moreover, the study allows, based on the topicality of the analyzed theories, a critical view of the disturbing current political context, in face of the recent popular movements that spontaneously emerged all over the globe from 2010, since immediately insurrectionary movements to mass protests called pejoratively without cause.