Introduction 1
Part Ⅰ Legal Paradigms 1
1 The Rise and Fall of States 11
1.1 Introduction 11
1.2 The rise and fall of civilizations - some theoretical explanations 14
1.3 The success of individual states 25
1.4 Conclusion 42
2 The Influence of Constitutional Paradigms 49
2.1 Introduction 49
2.2 The State 50
2.3 Dark Ages and mediaeval Europe 62
2.4 The Reformation 73
2.5 The Industrial Revolution 76
2.6 Constitutional paradigms 79
2.7 Conclusion 85
3 Hard and Soft Constitutions 87
3.1 Introduction 87
3.2 The relationship between law and government 90
3.3 Flexibility and responsiveness - The rule of law 106
3.4 Inflexibility and constitutional arteriosclerosis 116
3.5 Conclusion 119
Part Ⅱ The Viability of States 125
4 Underlying Theory 125
4.1 Introduction 125
4.2 Legitimacy as a normative influence 125
4.3 The necessity for inherent strength 135
4.4 Political ideology underlying the Grundnorm 136
4.5 Conclusion 141
5 Authoritarianism 143
5.1 Introduction 143
5.2 Egypt 143
5.3 Political collapse and laissez-faire economies 146
5.4 Conclusion 151
6 Doctrinaire Liberalism 153
6.1 Introduction 153
6.2 Liberalism as a legal/political influence 153
6.3 Constitutions in liberal states -informal limitations in New Zealand 161
6.4 Constitutions in liberal states - a change of Grundnorm: Ireland 163
6.5 Conclusion 187
7 Empires and Supra-national Entities 189
7.1 Introduction 189
7.2 Rome 189
7.3 European Union 193
7.4 Conclusion 206
8 Mixed Models 209
8.1 Introduction 209
8.2 Modern doctrinaire liberalism and authoritarianism 209
8.3 Conclusion 230
9 Conclusions 233
9.1 Introduction 233
9.2 Flexibility and stability 234
9.3 Hard and soft constitutions, democracy and the rule of law 236
9.4 Conclusion 236
Bibliography 239
Index 287