Linda Colley: How War Shaped Constitution-Making and Spread (and Limited) Rights

Around the world, constitutional democracies face mounting challenges. In many countries, the resurgence of nationalism and populism threatens civil liberties and political rights, especially of minorities. An exclusive conception of the people, and a growing belief that political majorities can act as they wish, tests the checks and balances that constrain executive power and the rule of law more broadly. The fine balance between constitutionalism and democracy has come under stress.

Yet the constitutions that define our political regimes are relatively modern phenomena. What explains their rise? How did patterns of war, the formation of the public sphere and struggles over empire influence the spread and nature of constitution-making? What forces are shaping the prospects of constitutionalism in the twenty-first century?

The critically acclaimed historian, Linda Colley, examines these and other questions in conversation with Sanjay Ruparelia.

Image credit: David McConochie