Fall 2012 Class Descriptions

As of 5/23/2013 3:17:45 AM

Global Constitutionalism

The idea of a constitution has dominated the liberal imagination since the enlightenment. From South Africa to Pakistan, from India to Iran, every government claiming legitimate rule has one today, even if only in name. Some scholars suggest that even the EU, the UN, and the WTO have constitutional status. But what does it mean to have a constitution? Where does the idea of a constitution come from and how far can it be stretched? What does the practice of constitutional law in the United States share with other forms of constitutionalism around the globe? In what way, for example, does a constitutional right in the United States differ from a constitutional right elsewhere?

From foundations to the cutting edge, the seminar will explore these and other questions of constitutionalism around the world. Along the way, we will also draw on the practical and scholarly expertise of several international speakers who will join the seminar over the course of the term.