Democracy and Constitutions

"""Building from a critical account of the origins and development of Canadian and US constitutionalism, Allan C. Hutchinson contributes to the burgeoning literature on strong democracy within a framework of weak but real constitutionalism, with thoughtful - and provocative! - suggestions for institutional reforms that promote strong democracy.""--Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School ""Allan C. Hutchinson delivers a provocative and timely plea for a profound collective commitment to democracy. Written in a register of 'serious laughter', and inspired by Milan Kundera whose readers, Hutchinson says, 'take themselves out of their comfort zone and put themselves at risk', his book indicts constitutionalism for forgetting and failing the democratic project, and pushes us to imagine what true trust in real people might mean for our institutions.""--Shauna Van Praagh, Professor of Law, McGill University ""Allan C. Hutchinson has produced a powerful critique of constitutionalism, as government by elites serving the interests of elites, while also persuasively making the case for more democracy in response. Elegantly written and well argued, this is an uncomfortable challenge to liberal complacency, with radical and inspiring ideas about how to enhance popular participation in all aspects of constitutional decision-making.""--Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law, King's College London"