The story of constitutions : discovering the we in us / Wim Voermans.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Voermans, Wim, 1961- author.

Series:

Comparative constitutional law and policy.

Comparative constitutional law and policy

Standardized Title:

Het verhaal van de grondwet. English

Language:

Dutch

English

Subjects (All):

Constitutional history.

Constitutions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xv, 388 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2023.

Summary:

Today, 189 out of 193 officially recognised nation-states have a written constitution, and 75% of these have been ratified since 1975. How did this worldwide diffusion of constitutions come about? In this book, Wim Voermans traces the varied and surprising story of constitutions since the agricultural revolution of c.10,000 bce. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, Voermans shows how human evolution, human nature and the history of thought have all played their part in shaping modern constitutions. Constitutions, in turn, have shaped our societies, creating imagined communities of trust and recognition that allow us to successfully co-operate with one another. Engagingly and wittily told, the story of constitutions is vital to understanding our world, our civilisations and, most significantly, ourselves.

Contents:

Introduction : the century of constitutions

Constitutions everywhere

The origin of constitutions

Precursors

Etched into collective memory : ancient constitutions

Roman roots

Mediaeval constitutions

Early-modern constitutions

Generations : the first generation of monarchical constitutions

Second generation : revolutionary constitutions

Third generation : restoration constitutions

Fourth generation : liberal constitutions

Fifth generation : imperial constitutions

Sixth generation : leviathan constitutions

The seventh generation : liberation constitutions

The eighth generation : liberal-democratic constitutions

What are the lessons of history?

What is a constitution?

Constitutiona kingship

What does a constitution do?

The legal meaning of constitutions

Economic aspects

Political aspects

The constitution's beating heart : emotions

The roots of the tree of knowledge

Constitutions as vehicles for legitimacy

The story of the constitution

Appealing to the imagination : constitutional experience

Once upon a time ... there was the constitution.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 23 Oct 2023).

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781009385053

1009385054

9781009385039

1009385038

9781009385084

1009385089