Civil Society, Constitution, and Legitimacy

By (author) Andrew Arato

Hardback - £140.00

Publication date:

19 April 2000

Length of book:

368 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780847687718

Spurred by recent governmental transitions from dictatorships to democratic institutions, this highly original work argues that negotiated civil society-oriented transitions have an affinity for a distinctive method of constitution making_one that accomplishes the radical change of institutions through legal continuity. Arato presents a compelling argument that this is the preferred method for rapidly establishing viable democratic institutions, and he contrasts the negotiated model with radical revolutionary change. This exceptionally engaging work will be of interest to students and scholars of comparative politics, constitutional law, and East European studies, as well as to political scientists and sociologists.
Andrew Arato is both a keen observer of eastern Europe and a social theorist of well-deserved high reputation. Arato has written an important book, clearly the best to date on the writing of constitutions and their normative ramifications for democracy in postcommunist eastern Europe. Its combination of theoretical sophistication and broad knowledge of the region is impressive. It deserves a wide reading among those interested in law, constitutionalism, politics, and social theory.