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16 - The Eighth Generation

Liberal-Democratic Constitutions

from Part II - The History of the Constitution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2023

Wim Voermans
Affiliation:
Universiteit Leiden
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Summary

A new era of universalism and constitutional systems sets in after the fall of the Berlin Wall. With a worldwide demise of most traditional communist systems, liberal democracies seem to be the last system standing: The End of history, as Francis Fukuyama dubbed it. A lot of nations change in their old constitutional system for a new one: a liberal democracy, set in stone by a constitution that lays down individual fundamental freedom protection, division of government power, popular sovereignty and democracy. The bulk of nations has or adopts a liberal democratic constitution by the end of the twentieth century (at least they do so on paper). Communist and theocratic (Islamic) constitutions still exist but they represent a minority part of the constitutions in existence. The first part of the twenty-first century shows slide backs in the form of illiberal democracies, democratic downfalls and an increase of autocratic systems. None state (or supra state) constitutions spring up.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Story of Constitutions
Discovering the We in Us
, pp. 180 - 192
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • The Eighth Generation
  • Wim Voermans, Universiteit Leiden
  • Book: The Story of Constitutions
  • Online publication: 19 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009385084.019
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  • The Eighth Generation
  • Wim Voermans, Universiteit Leiden
  • Book: The Story of Constitutions
  • Online publication: 19 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009385084.019
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Eighth Generation
  • Wim Voermans, Universiteit Leiden
  • Book: The Story of Constitutions
  • Online publication: 19 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009385084.019
Available formats
×