Constitutional Predicament

Constitutional Predicament PDF Author: Curtis Cook
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773564756
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
Canada's fifth effort at "mega-constitutional politics" was a period of popular discussion and leadership negotiation, that ran from the defeat in 1990 of the Meech Lake Accord through the Charlottetown Accord and the referendum of 26 October 1992. Constitutional Predicament explores the referendum in relation to the democratic process; nationalism (Canadian, Aboriginal, Québécois) and pluralism; principles of constitutionalism, constitution-making, and popular participation in constitution-making; the role of the Charter and Supreme Court; future constitutional efforts; and worldwide trends. The contributors agree that Canadian voters rejected the Charlottetown proposals because they disapproved of both their content and the procedure by which they were drawn up. They conclude that, while Quebec remains the chief problem for the Canadian constitution, Quebec was not the sole constitutional issue or the sole issue which determined how Canadians voted. The constitutional process did help make it apparent that Canada is multinational and that each of the three major nations has valid claims on the political system. The contributors offer contrasting views on how the Charlottetown Accord came to read as it does, why negotiators at Charlottetown so misjudged public opinion, and the prognosis for further constitution-making. Readers may also see the referendum vote as a preview of the vote in the general election of October 1993, which unseated the Tories one year later, almost to the day. Taken together with the accompanying provocative commentaries, the essays will be of specific interest to students of Canadian politics and constitutional affairs. The complete text of the Charlottetown Accord is included in an appendix. The contributors and commentators are Janet Ajzenstat, Alan C. Cairns, Curtis Cook, Barry Cooper, Peter Emberley, David Hendrickson, Robert J. Jackson, Juan Lindau, F.L. Morton, Alain Noël, and James Tully.

Constitutional Predicament

Constitutional Predicament PDF Author: Curtis Cook
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773564756
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Get Book Here

Book Description
Canada's fifth effort at "mega-constitutional politics" was a period of popular discussion and leadership negotiation, that ran from the defeat in 1990 of the Meech Lake Accord through the Charlottetown Accord and the referendum of 26 October 1992. Constitutional Predicament explores the referendum in relation to the democratic process; nationalism (Canadian, Aboriginal, Québécois) and pluralism; principles of constitutionalism, constitution-making, and popular participation in constitution-making; the role of the Charter and Supreme Court; future constitutional efforts; and worldwide trends. The contributors agree that Canadian voters rejected the Charlottetown proposals because they disapproved of both their content and the procedure by which they were drawn up. They conclude that, while Quebec remains the chief problem for the Canadian constitution, Quebec was not the sole constitutional issue or the sole issue which determined how Canadians voted. The constitutional process did help make it apparent that Canada is multinational and that each of the three major nations has valid claims on the political system. The contributors offer contrasting views on how the Charlottetown Accord came to read as it does, why negotiators at Charlottetown so misjudged public opinion, and the prognosis for further constitution-making. Readers may also see the referendum vote as a preview of the vote in the general election of October 1993, which unseated the Tories one year later, almost to the day. Taken together with the accompanying provocative commentaries, the essays will be of specific interest to students of Canadian politics and constitutional affairs. The complete text of the Charlottetown Accord is included in an appendix. The contributors and commentators are Janet Ajzenstat, Alan C. Cairns, Curtis Cook, Barry Cooper, Peter Emberley, David Hendrickson, Robert J. Jackson, Juan Lindau, F.L. Morton, Alain Noël, and James Tully.

The Policy State

The Policy State PDF Author: Karen Orren
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674728742
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The steady accretion of public policies over the decades has fundamentally changed how America is governed. The formulation and delivery of policy have emerged as the government’s entire raison d’être, redefining rights and reconfiguring institutional structures. The Policy State looks closely at this massive unnoticed fact of modern politics and addresses the controversies swirling around it. Government has become more responsive and inclusive, but the shift has also polarized politics and sowed a deep distrust of institutions. These developments demand a thorough reconsideration of historical governance. “A sterling example of political science at its best: analytically rigorous, historically informed, and targeted at questions of undeniable contemporary significance... Orren and Skowronek uncover a transformation that revolutionized American politics and now threatens to tear it apart.” —Timothy Shenk, New Republic “Wherever you start out in our politics, this book will turn your sense of things sideways and make you rethink deeply held assumptions. It’s a model of what political science could be, but so rarely is.” —Yuval Levin, National Review “A gripping narrative...opening up new avenues for reflection along methodological, conceptual, and normative lines.” —Bernardo Zacka, Contemporary Political Theory

Putin's Predicament

Putin's Predicament PDF Author: Bo Petersson
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 3838210506
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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Book Description
Using the Russian president’s major public addresses as the main source, Bo Petersson analyzes the legitimization strategies employed during Vladimir Putin’s third and fourth terms in office. The argument is that these strategies have rested on Putin’s highly personalized blend of strongman-image projection and presentation as the embodiment of Russia’s great power myth. Putin appears as the only credible guarantor against renewed weakness, political chaos, and interference from abroad—in particular from the US. After a first deep crisis of legitimacy manifested itself by the massive protests in 2011–2012, the annexation of Crimea led to a lengthy boost in Putin’s popularity figures. The book discusses how the Crimea effect is, by 2021, trailing off and Putin’s charismatic authority is increasingly questioned by opposition from Alexei Navalny, the effects of unpopular reforms, and poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Russia is bound to head for a succession crisis as the legitimacy of the political system continues to be built on Putin’s projected personal characteristics and—now apparently waning—charisma, and since no potential heir apparent has been allowed on center stage. The constitutional reform of summer 2020 made it possible in theory for Putin to continue as president until 2036. Yet, this change did not address the Russian political system’s fundamental future leadership dilemma.

The Constitutional Systems of the Independent Central Asian States

The Constitutional Systems of the Independent Central Asian States PDF Author: Scott Newton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 150990946X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
This book undertakes the first comparative constitutional analysis of the Kyrgyz Republic and Republics of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in their cultural, historical, political, economic and social context. The first chapter provides a general overview of the diverse and dynamic constitutional landscape across the region. A second chapter examines the Soviet constitutional system in depth as the womb of the Central Asian States. A third chapter completes the general picture by examining the constitutional influences of the 'new world order' of globalisation, neoliberalism, and good governance into which the five states were thrust. The remaining five chapters look in turn at the constitutional context of presidents and governments, parliaments and elections, courts and rights, society and economy and culture and identity. The enquiry probes the regional patterns of neo-Sovietism, plebiscitary elections, weak courts and parliaments, crony capitalism, and constraints on association, as well as the counter-tendencies that strengthen democracy, rights protection and pluralism. It reveals the Central Asian experience to be emblematic of the principal issues and tensions facing contemporary constitutional systems everywhere.

The Supreme Court and the Decline of Constitutional Aspiration

The Supreme Court and the Decline of Constitutional Aspiration PDF Author: Gary J. Jacobsohn
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780847676071
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
'An excellent commentary on and an insightful contribution to the current debate on constitutional interpretation.'-Walter F. Murphy, Princeton University

Constitutional Referendums

Constitutional Referendums PDF Author: Stephen Tierney
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199592799
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
The constitutional referendum has become a vital feature of modern constitution-making and reform. This book provides the first full-length analysis of the theoretical foundations of constitutional referendums, assessing their democratic credentials and the design decisions that affect the value and legitimacy of the referendum process.

The Identity of the Constitutional Subject

The Identity of the Constitutional Subject PDF Author: Michel Rosenfeld
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135253285
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
The last fifty years has seen a worldwide trend toward constitutional democracy. But can constitutionalism become truly global? Relying on historical examples of successfully implanted constitutional regimes, ranging from the older experiences in the United States and France to the relatively recent ones in Germany, Spain and South Africa, Michel Rosenfeld sheds light on the range of conditions necessary for the emergence, continuity and adaptability of a viable constitutional identity - citizenship, nationalism, multiculturalism, and human rights being important elements. The Identity of the Constitutional Subject is the first systematic analysis of the concept, drawing on philosophy, psychoanalysis, political theory and law from a comparative perspective to explore the relationship between the ideal of constitutionalism and the need to construct a common constitutional identity that is distinct from national, cultural, ethnic or religious identity. The Identity of the Constitutional Subject will be of interest to students and scholars in law, legal and political philosophy, political science, multicultural studies, international relations and US politics.

Federalism and the Constitution of Canada

Federalism and the Constitution of Canada PDF Author: David E. Smith
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 1442694572
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
The Canadian system of federalism divides the power to govern between the central federal parliament and the provincial and territorial legislative assemblies. In what can be seen as a double federation, power is also divided culturally, between English and French Canada. The divisions of power and responsibility, however, have not remained static since 1867. The federal language regime (1969), for example, reconfigured cultural federalism, generating constitutional tension as governments sought to make institutions more representative of the country's diversity. In Federalism and the Constitution of Canada, award-winning author David E. Smith examines a series of royal commission and task force inquiries, a succession of federal-provincial conferences, and the competing and controversial terms of the Constitution Act of 1982 in order to evaluate both the popular and governmental understanding of federalism. In the process, Smith uncovers the reasons constitutional agreement has historically proved difficult to reach and argues that Canadian federalism 'in practice' has been more successful at accommodating foundational change than may be immediately apparent.

Constitutional Identity

Constitutional Identity PDF Author: Gary J. Jacobsohn
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674047664
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Book Description
Jacobsohn argues that a constitution acquires an identity through experience—from a mix of the political aspirations and commitments that express a nation’s past and the desire to transcend that past. It is changeable but resistant to its own destruction, and manifests itself in various ways.

Constitution in Crisis

Constitution in Crisis PDF Author: DJ Galligan
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786722968
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137

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Book Description
The debates that began at St Mary's Church, Putney on 28 October 1647 pioneered the liberal, democratic settlement in England: a written constitution, universal suffrage, freedom of conscience and equality before the law. Four centuries later, the 2016 Brexit referendum raised fundamental questions concerning the constitution of the United Kingdom. Following the High Court ruling that the government, under a centuries-old Royal Prerogative, does not have the power to trigger Article 50 to leave the EU, MPs have claimed that we are entering a full-blown constitutional crisis. The parallels between 1647 and 2017 are striking. Government has been toppled, a new leadership has emerged, and the two main parties are in a state of internecine warfare. Parliamentarians do not understand how to reconcile their duty to act for the common good and the result of the referendum. The people are divided and the four nations comprising the United Kingdom are at odds. This volume brings together some of the greatest public intellectuals of their generation to debate the constitutional crisis at the heart of today's politics. Featuring contributions from A.C. Grayling, Joshua Rozenberg, Onora O'Neill, Will Hutton, Timothy Garton Ash and Michael Mansfield, this book provides important new perspectives on the most important political debate of the twenty-first century.