Constitutions and Democracies

This essential Handbook interrogates the relationship between democracies and constitutions at a time of rapid global change. By examining key points of unsettlement, disruption and change, expert authors from across the multidisciplinary field of comparative constitutional studies both diagnose and respond to democracy’s challenges worldwide.

Presenting novel conceptual, empirical and theoretical analysis, this Handbook assesses whether existing understandings of constitutional democracy adequately capture the tensions and plurality that arise in the interaction of constitutionalism and democracy. Chapters consider how challenges such as climate change, inequality, digital technology, multi-level governance, and purported alternatives to liberal democracy require the rethinking of the established assumptions, methodologies, theories and frameworks of comparative constitutional studies. The Handbook builds on existing research by placing greater focus on non-judicial institutions, highlighting the democratic, as well as the constitutional, dimensions of governance. It provides agenda-setting reflections on future directions for the field.

Constitutions and Democracies is a key resource for scholars and students of public law and politics, especially those seeking a wide-ranging overview of themes and trends in comparative constitutional studies. It is also highly relevant to policymakers due to its combination of practical and theoretical insights into institutional design.