Democracies are in danger. Around the world, a rising wave of populist leaders threatens to erode the core structures of democratic self rule. In the United States, the election of Donald Trump marked a decisive turning point for many. A new book by CCP co-director Tom Ginsburg and University of Chicago Law Professor Aziz Z. Huq, How to Save a Constitutional Democracy, mounts an urgent argument that we can no longer afford to be complacent.
Drawing on a rich array of other countries’ experiences with democratic backsliding, Ginsburg and Huq show how constitutional rules can either hinder or hasten the decline of democratic institutions. The authors contend that, in the US in particular, the Constitution’s design actually makes democratic erosion more, not less, likely. They conclude by laying out practical steps for how laws and constitutional design can play a more positive role in managing the risk of democratic decline.
Learn more and order the book here.