Constitutional Democracy in Crisis? II offers readers forty-four new accessible essays on the nature of constitutional democracy and constitutional crises, how the democratic recission is being experienced throughout the world, the factors that are providing challenges for constitutional democracy, and the tools being fashioned to maintain constitutional democracy, including the possibility of more global governance. This volume informs readers of the present state of constitutional democracy throughout the world and provides them with a framework for maintaining and improving constitutional governance.
The health of constitutional democracy has not improved substantially since the publication of Constitutional Democracy in Crisis?. Widespread concern exists about the decline of constitutional democracy around the world, a phenomenon often referred to as 'democratic recession', 'democratic failure' or 'democratic backsliding.' The United States is hurtling toward competitive authoritarianism if not at that destination. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy confront powerful authoritarian movements. Eastern European countries struggle to maintain fragile democracies, while democratic efforts in the Global South confront the legacy of colonialism. Several "feel-good" cases remain: New Zealand and Australia continue as robust constitutional democracies; Poland and possibly Hungary are undergoing democratic "U-turns" after an authoritarian turn; constitutional reform failures have not dampened democratic momentum in Chile; and Brazil's strong democratic culture enabled resistance to and ultimately the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro.
Struggles to establish, sustain, and restore constitutional democracy have not only persisted but accelerated over the past eight years, increasingly blurring the line between "episodic turbulence" and "structural rupture." Global developments now demand not just updated examples, but a re-examination of core assumptions, about what constitutes a constitutional crisis, how rapidly constitutional-democratic systems can be reoriented, which institutions matter most under stress, and what effective repair looks like once democratic injury is normalized. Recent events underscore the need to "pause and reflect on the constitutional project," which appears to be in crisis and perhaps outdated, "incapable of leading us effectively into the planetary epoch."
