Crafting Constitutional Democracies: The Politics of Institutional Design - Softcover

Schneier, Edward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742530744 ISBN 13: 9780742530744

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006

Synopsis

By examining the institutions of government through the lens of constitution-making, Crafting Constitutional Democracies provides a broad and insightful introduction to comparative politics. Drawn from a series of lectures given in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the drafting of the U.S. constitution, the book illustrates the problems faced by generations of founders, through numerous historic and contemporary examples. Both Indonesia in 1999 and the United States in 1789 faced the same basic issue: how to construct a central government for a large and diverse nation that allowed the majority of the people to govern themselves without intruding on the rights of minorities. What kinds of institutions make for 'good government'? What factors need to be considered in designing a government? Author Edward Schneier explores these questions through a rich variety of examples from both recent and historic transitions to democracy. Drawing frequently upon the arguments of the American Federalist Papers and more contemporary theories of democratization, Crafting Constitutional Democracies lucidly explores the key questions of how and why democracies succeed and fail. A concluding chapter on constitutional change and decline raises provocative and important questions about the lessons that citizens of the world's older democracies might take from the struggles of the new.

About this title

About the Author

Edward Schneier is professor emeritus of political science at The City College of The City University of New York.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0742530744
• ISBN 13: 9780742530744
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284