Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment

Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment Synopsis

From one of our leading scholars of comparative constitutionalism, advice for everyone involved in the surprisingly common practice of constitution-writing

Enhancing prospects for democracy is an important objective in the process of creating a new constitution. Donald L. Horowitz argues that constitutional processes ought to be geared to securing commitment to democracy by those who participate in them. Using evidence from numerous constitutional processes, he makes a strong case for a process intended to increase the likelihood of a democratic outcome.

He also assesses tradeoffs among various process attributes and identifies some that might impede democratic outcomes. Horowitz offers a fresh perspective on how constitutions are made that will interest students and scholars and help to guide everyone involved in the surprisingly common practice of constitution?writing.