Making constitutions in deeply divided societies / Hanna Lerner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lerner, Hanna (College teacher), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Constitutional law--Israel.

Constitutional law.

Constitutional law--India.

Constitutional law--Ireland.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 262 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

How can societies still grappling over the common values and shared vision of their state draft a democratic constitution? This is the central puzzle of Making Constitutions in Deeply Divided Societies. While most theories discuss constitution-making in the context of a moment of revolutionary change, Hanna Lerner argues that an incrementalist approach to constitution-making can enable societies riven by deep internal disagreements to either enact a written constitution or function with an unwritten one. She illustrates the process of constitution-writing in three deeply divided societies - Israel, India and Ireland - and explores the various incrementalist strategies deployed by their drafters. These include the avoidance of clear decisions, the use of ambivalent legal language and the inclusion of contrasting provisions in the constitution. Such techniques allow the deferral of controversial choices regarding the foundational aspects of the polity to future political institutions, thus enabling the constitution to reflect a divided identity.

Contents:

Introduction

PART I : CONSTITUTIONS, DEMOCRACY, IDENTITY: Three paradigms of democratic constitutions

The incrementalist approach to constitution-making

PART II : VARIETIES OF CONSTITUTIONAL INCREMENTALISM: Informal consociationalism in Israel

Constructive ambiguity in India

Symbolic ambivalence in Ireland

PART III : ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST CONSTITUTIONAL INCREMENTALISM: Normative arguments for constitutional incrementalism

Potential dangers

Conclusion.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-257) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-22727-5

1-139-09763-6

1-283-34189-1

1-139-10347-4

9786613341891

1-139-10101-3

1-139-10167-6

1-139-09898-5

0-511-79339-1

1-139-09967-1

OCLC:

769342132