Crafting Constitutional Democracies

Well designed constitutions do not produce good governments, but there are no good governments without them. Using extensive and careful comparative research, Ned Schneier identifies the qualities of good constitutions and analyzes their relevance to the survival and consolidation of democracy. Scholars and practitioners alike have much to learn from this book. -- Richard Ned Lebow, Dartmouth College
Crafting Constitutional Democracies is the first in-depth comparative study of world and American constitutional development since Samuel Finer's a decade ago, and it is distinctive in its inclusion of American state constitutions. In setting the study of constitutions in historical, cultural and socioeconomic contexts, this book makes a rich, invaluable addition to the literature of comparative politics. -- John W. Harbeson, The City College of The City University of New York
Ned Schneier's book works on many levels: as a lucid and nuanced introduction to constitutional studies, as a treasury of wise observations for the reader steeped in the literature, and-most important-as a rich guide for designers of new democratic constitutions. -- Diana Gordon, The City University of New York
This smoothly-written review of the impact of constitutional structures upon the practice of democratic politics combines a deep knowledge of the American experience with an acute awareness of countries around the world. How democratic constitutions and democratic political systems develop and persist in a rapidly changing world is a pervasive theme throughout the book, both stimulated and informed by the author's personal experience in transitional political systems. -- David M. Olson, University of North Carolina, Greensborough