The Theory and Design of Constitutional Change
This course will be the first opportunity to dive deeply into the study of constitutional change with two leading scholars whose path-breaking research has placed them at the very center of the field. Richard Albert and Yaniv Roznai will lead course registrants in a discussion of the fundamental questions in constitutional change. How should constitutional designers structure the rules of amendment? Can a constitutional amendment be unconstitutional? On what grounds may a court legitimately exercise the extraordinary power to invalidate a constitutional amendment? Should there be limits to the constitution-making process? What are the functions, perils, and promise of unamendability? How do formal and informal mechanisms of change interrelate? And are there effective constitutional design strategies to combat the rise of populist movements that are gaining strength around the world today? This six-week course will be held live on Zoom on consecutive Mondays starting on June 1, 2020. Sessions will begin at 2:00pm EDT and end at 3:30pm EDT. This course is open to all, including faculty and students in law, government, history, world affairs, and other fields.