Abstract
For newly independent states, constitution-building can be a defining moment: a time when national identities are asserted, values and norms articulated, and founding myths created. The constitution-building process is a critical juncture between the divergent paths of stable and well-functioning democracy, on one hand, or persistent instability, coups, repression, and state failure, on the other. But what is the proper relationship of constitution-building to state formation? Should constitution-building occur before or after state formation? Or should the two processes somehow proceed in parallel? To address these questions in a Scottish context, this article draws on state-formation and constitution-building processes in the Westminster-derived tradition. The article considers the advantages and disadvantages of these sequences, and discusses the circumstances in which they might be applicable. It concludes by making some tentative recommendations for a pre-independence constitution-building process in Scotland.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 681-694 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | International Political Science Review |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 1 Oct 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2020 |
Keywords
- Commonwealth
- constituent assembly
- Constitution-building
- Scottish independence
- sequencing
- state formation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- Political Science and International Relations