What Should Constitutions Do

Author : Ellen Frankel Paul,Fred D. Miller, Jr,Jeffrey Paul
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2011-01-31
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781139495943

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What Should Constitutions Do? by Ellen Frankel Paul,Fred D. Miller, Jr,Jeffrey Paul Pdf

The essays in this volume - written by prominent philosophers, political scientists and legal scholars - address the basic purposes of constitutions and their status as fundamental law. Some deal with specific constitutional provisions: they ask, for example, which branches of government should have the authority to conduct foreign policy, or how the judiciary should be organized, or what role a preamble should play in a nation's founding document. Other essays explore questions of constitutional design: they consider the advantages of a federal system of government, or the challenges of designing a constitution for a pluralistic society - or they ask what form of constitution best promotes personal liberty and economic prosperity.

Author : Larry Alexander
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Law
ISBN : 0521482933

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Constitutionalism by Larry Alexander Pdf

A distinguished international team of legal theorists examine the issue of constitutionalism and pose such foundational questions as: Why have a constitution? How do we know what the constitution of a country really is? How should a constitution be interpreted? The volume will be of particular importance to those in philosophy, law, political science and international relations interested in whether and what kinds of constitutions should be adopted in countries without them, and involved in debates about constitutional interpretation.

Author : Louis Michael Seidman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2013-01-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780199898282

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On Constitutional Disobedience by Louis Michael Seidman Pdf

What would the Framers of the Constitution make of multinational corporations? Nuclear weapons? Gay marriage? They led a preindustrial country, much of it dependent on slave labor, huddled on the Atlantic seaboard. The Founders saw society as essentially hierarchical, led naturally by landed gentry like themselves. Yet we still obey their commands, two centuries and one civil war later. According to Louis Michael Seidman, it's time to stop. In On Constitutional Disobedience, Seidman argues that, in order to bring our basic law up to date, it needs benign neglect. This is a highly controversial assertion. The doctrine of "original intent" may be found on the far right, but the entire political spectrum--left and right--shares a deep reverence for the Constitution. And yet, Seidman reminds us, disobedience is the original intent of the Constitution. The Philadelphia convention had gathered to amend the Articles of Confederation, not toss them out and start afresh. The "living Constitution" school tries to bridge the gap between the framers and ourselves by reinterpreting the text in light of modern society's demands. But this attempt is doomed, Seidman argues. One might stretch "due process of law" to protect an act of same-sex sodomy, yet a loyal-but-contemporary reading cannot erase the fact that the Constitution allows a candidate who lost the popular election to be seated as president. And that is only one of the gross violations of popular will enshrined in the document. Seidman systematically addresses and refutes the arguments in favor of Constitutional fealty, proposing instead that it be treated as inspiration, not a set of commands. The Constitution is, at its best, a piece of poetry to liberty and self-government. If we treat it as such, the author argues, we will make better progress in achieving both.

Author : Cass R. Sunstein
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Law
ISBN : 0195158407

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Designing Democracy by Cass R. Sunstein Pdf

A fresh examination of constitutionalism is presented by one of the nation's most respected legal scholars.

Author : Ronald Dworkin
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 438 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780198265573

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Freedom's Law by Ronald Dworkin Pdf

Dworkin's important book is a collection of essays which discuss almost all of the great constitutional issues of the last two decades, including abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, homosexuality, pornography, and free speech. Dworkin offers a consistently liberal view of the Constitution and argues that fidelity to it and to law demands that judges make moral judgments. He proposes that we all interpret the abstract language of the Constitution by reference to moral principles about political decency and justice. His 'moral reading' therefore brings political morality into the heart of constitutional law. The various chapters of this book were first published separately; now drawn together they provide the reader with a rich, full-length treatment of Dworkin's general theory of law.

Author : Winluck Wahiu,Markus Böckenförde,Nora Hedling
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Constitutional law
ISBN : OCLC:779852624

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A Practical Guide to Constitution Building by Winluck Wahiu,Markus Böckenförde,Nora Hedling Pdf

"A Practical Guide to Constitution Building provides an essential foundation for understanding constitutions and constitution building. Full of world examples of ground-breaking agreements and innovative provisions adopted during processes of constitutional change, the Guide offers a wide range of examples of how constitutions develop and how their development can establish and entrench democratic values. Beyond comparative examples, the Guide contains in-depth analysis of key components of constitutions and the forces of change that shape them. The Guide analyzes the adoption of the substantive elements of a new constitution by looking at forces for the aggregation or dissemination of governmental power, and forces for greater legalization or politicization of governmental power, and examining how these forces influence the content of the constitution. It urges practitioners to look carefully at the forces at play within their individual contexts in order to better understand constitutional dynamics and play a role in shaping a constitution that will put into place a functioning democratic government and foster lasting peace."--

Author : Grant Huscroft
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 332 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2008-04-21
Category : Law
ISBN : 0521887410

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Expounding the Constitution by Grant Huscroft Pdf

What does it mean to interpret the constitution? Does constitutional interpretation involve moral reasoning, or is legal reasoning something different? What does it mean to say that a limit on a right is justified? How does judicial review fit into a democratic constitutional order? Are attempts to limit its scope incoherent? How should a jurist with misgivings about the legitimacy of judicial review approach the task of judicial review? Is there a principled basis for judicial deference? Do constitutional rights depend on the protection of a written constitution, or is there a common law constitution that is enforceable by the courts? How are constitutional rights and unwritten constitutional principles to be reconciled? In this book, these and other questions are debated by some of the world's leading constitutional theorists and legal philosophers. Their essays are essential reading for anyone concerned with constitutional rights and legal theory.

Author : Adam Chilton,Mila Versteeg
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 397 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780190871451

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How Constitutional Rights Matter by Adam Chilton,Mila Versteeg Pdf

Does constitutionalizing rights improve respect for those rights in practice? Drawing on statistical analyses, survey experiments, and case studies from around the world, this book argues that enforcing constitutional rights is not easy, but that some rights are harder to repress than others. First, enshrining rights in constitutions does not automatically ensure that those rights will be respected. For rights to matter, rights violations need to be politically costly. But this is difficult to accomplish for unconnected groups of citizens. Second, some rights are easier to enforce than others, especially those with natural constituencies that can mobilize for their enforcement. This is the case for rights that are practiced by and within organizations, such as the rights to religious freedom, to unionize, and to form political parties. Because religious groups, trade unions and parties are highly organized, they are well-equipped to use the constitution to resist rights violations. As a result, these rights are systematically associated with better practices. By contrast, rights that are practiced on an individual basis, such as free speech or the prohibition of torture, often lack natural constituencies to enforce them, which makes it easier for governments to violate these rights. Third, even highly organized groups armed with the constitution may not be able to stop governments dedicated to rights-repression. When constitutional rights are enforced by dedicated organizations, they are thus best understood as speed bumps that slow down attempts at repression. An important contribution to comparative constitutional law, this book provides a comprehensive picture of the spread of constitutional rights, and their enforcement, around the world.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OCLC:248265417

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A Consolidation of the Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982 by Anonim Pdf

Author : Walter Bagehot
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Page : 370 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 1867
Category : History
ISBN : NYPL:33433081652806

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The English Constitution by Walter Bagehot Pdf

There is a great difficulty in the way of a writer who attempts to sketch a living Constitution-a Constitution that is in actual work and power. The difficulty is that the object is in constant change. An historical writer does not feel this difficulty: he deals only with the past; he can say definitely, the Constitution worked in such and such a manner in the year at which he begins, and in a manner in such and such respects different in the year at which he ends; he begins with a definite point of time and ends with one also. But a contemporary writer who tries to paint what is before him is puzzled and a perplexed: what he sees is changing daily. He must paint it as it stood at some one time, or else he will be putting side by side in his representations things which never were contemporaneous in reality.

Author : Denis James Galligan
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 844 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Constitutional law
ISBN : 9781107424395

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Social and Political Foundations of Constitutions by Denis James Galligan Pdf

"This volume analyses the social and political forces that influence constitutions and the process of constitution making. It combines theoretical perspectives on the social and political foundations of constitutions with a range of detailed case studies of constitution making in nineteen different countries. In the first part of the volume, leading scholars analyse and develop a range of theoretical perspectives, including constitutions as coordination devices, mission statements, contracts, products of domestic power play, transnational documents, and as reflection of the will of the people. In the second part of the volume, these theories are examined through in-depth case studies of the social and political foundations of constitutions in countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Japan, Romania, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Israel, Argentina, and others. The result is a multidimensional study of constitutions as social phenomena and their interaction with other social phenomena. The approach combines social science analysis of the nature of constitutions with case studies of selected constitutions"--

Author : Rogers M. Smith,Richard R. Beeman
Publisher : Democracy, Citizenship, and Company
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : History
ISBN : 9780812252347

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Modern Constitutions by Rogers M. Smith,Richard R. Beeman Pdf

The world has seen many new constitutions promising social rights and adopting innovative representative institutions. This book presents examples from the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia that show these constitutions face many challenges, especially the rise of authoritarian regimes that endanger the rule of law.

Author : Frank Vibert
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2018-06-29
Category : LAW
ISBN : 9781788118057

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Making a 21st Century Constitution by Frank Vibert Pdf

Democratic constitutions are increasingly unfit for purpose with governments facing increased pressures from populists and distrust from citizens. The only way to truly solve these problems is through reform. Within this important book, Frank Vibert sets out the key challenges to reform, the ways in which constitutions should be revitalised and provides the standards against which reform should be measured.

Author : David A. Strauss
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2010-05-19
Category : Law
ISBN : 0199752532

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The Living Constitution by David A. Strauss Pdf

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once remarked that the theory of an evolving, "living" Constitution effectively "rendered the Constitution useless." He wanted a "dead Constitution," he joked, arguing it must be interpreted as the framers originally understood it. In The Living Constitution, leading constitutional scholar David Strauss forcefully argues against the claims of Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, and other "originalists," explaining in clear, jargon-free English how the Constitution can sensibly evolve, without falling into the anything-goes flexibility caricatured by opponents. The living Constitution is not an out-of-touch liberal theory, Strauss further shows, but a mainstream tradition of American jurisprudence--a common-law approach to the Constitution, rooted in the written document but also based on precedent. Each generation has contributed precedents that guide and confine judicial rulings, yet allow us to meet the demands of today, not force us to follow the commands of the long-dead Founders. Strauss explores how judicial decisions adapted the Constitution's text (and contradicted original intent) to produce some of our most profound accomplishments: the end of racial segregation, the expansion of women's rights, and the freedom of speech. By contrast, originalism suffers from fatal flaws: the impossibility of truly divining original intent, the difficulty of adapting eighteenth-century understandings to the modern world, and the pointlessness of chaining ourselves to decisions made centuries ago. David Strauss is one of our leading authorities on Constitutional law--one with practical knowledge as well, having served as Assistant Solicitor General of the United States and argued eighteen cases before the United States Supreme Court. Now he offers a profound new understanding of how the Constitution can remain vital to life in the twenty-first century.

Author : Jonathan Rauch
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2021-06-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780815738879

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The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch Pdf

Arming Americans to defend the truth from today's war on facts “In what could be the timeliest book of the year, Rauch aims to arm his readers to engage with reason in an age of illiberalism.” —Newsweek A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Disinformation. Trolling. Conspiracies. Social media pile-ons. Campus intolerance. On the surface, these recent additions to our daily vocabulary appear to have little in common. But together, they are driving an epistemic crisis: a multi-front challenge to America's ability to distinguish fact from fiction and elevate truth above falsehood. In 2016 Russian trolls and bots nearly drowned the truth in a flood of fake news and conspiracy theories, and Donald Trump and his troll armies continued to do the same. Social media companies struggled to keep up with a flood of falsehoods, and too often didn't even seem to try. Experts and some public officials began wondering if society was losing its grip on truth itself. Meanwhile, another new phenomenon appeared: “cancel culture.” At the push of a button, those armed with a cellphone could gang up by the thousands on anyone who ran afoul of their sanctimony. In this pathbreaking book, Jonathan Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the “Constitution of Knowledge”—our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch arms defenders of truth with a clearer understanding of what they must protect, why they must do—and how they can do it. His book is a sweeping and readable description of how every American can help defend objective truth and free inquiry from threats as far away as Russia and as close as the cellphone.