Just published:
Constitutionalism, Quasi-Constitutionalism, and Representative Democracy
Daniel Smilov
This paper advances a conception of quasi-constitutionalism, consisting of far-reaching but legally unenforceable constraints and limits on the power of political majorities in areas such as economic policy, foreign relations, and social policy. The paper argues that European Union (EU) accession has strengthened quasi-constitutional constraints on the political process in Bulgaria.
Between the People and the Constitution:
The Constitutional Role(s) of the Legislature
Aruna Sathanapally
This paper analyses the different senses in which the legislature’s relationship to the constitution can be understood. While broader recognition of the role that legislatures can play in relation to constitutions is valuable, there are other matters of concern relating to the realities of legislatures, in relation to representation, accountability, and deliberation, which merit greater consideration in constitutional literature.
Disputes and their Resolution in Russia and China
Marina Kurkchiyan
This working paper explores the interplay of socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural factors that affect disputing behaviour in Russia and China. It compares their cultural attitudes towards conflicts, explores the differences in their contemporary institutional arrangements for responding to grievances, and analyses the role of the judiciary in relation to Russia’s ‘managed democracy’ and Chinese authoritarianism.