Comparative Constitutional Law

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course will aim to understand how constitutional systems in both old and new democracies address several key common themes in public law. The course is organized thematically and will begin by introducing the field of comparative constitutional studies and exploring the different ends constitutions may serve in different political contexts. It will then examine the ways in which constitutional design can help or hinder a society's project of establishing democratic government, promoting political stability, and protecting fundamental rights. From there, the course will proceed to examining institutional arrangements from a comparative perspective to understand how features of institutional design have a bearing on the political system and its democratic performance. Besides covering influential jurisdiction like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa, we will draw our examples from jurisdictions that have traditionally been overlooked in comparative constitutional law including countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and others. This course counts as a Junior Colloquium.