What is more paradoxically democratic than a people exercising their vote against the harbingers of the rule of law and democracy? What happens when the will of the people and the rule of law are at odds? Some commentators note that the presence of illiberal political movements in the public arena of many Western countries demonstrates that their democracy is so inclusive and alive that it comprehends and countenances even undemocratic forces and political agendas. But what if, on the contrary, these were the signs of the deconsolidation of democracy instead of its good health? What if democratically elected regimes were to ignore constitutional principles representing the rule of law and the limits of their power? With contributions from judges and scholars from different backgrounds and nationalities this book explores the framework in which this tension currently takes place in several Western countries by focusing on four key themes: - The Rule of Law: presenting a historical and theoretical reconstruction of the evolution of the Rule of Law; - The People: dealing with a set of problems around the notion of 'people' and the forces claiming to represent their voice; - Democracy and its enemies: tackling a variety of phenomena impacting on the traditional democratic balance of powers and institutional order; - Elected and Non-Elected: focusing on the juxtaposition between judges (and, more generally, non-representative bodies) and the people's representation.

This book addresses the question of why governments sometimes follow the law and other times choose to evade the law. The traditional answer of jurists has been that laws have an autonomous causal efficacy: law rules when actions follow anterior norms; the relation between laws and actions is one of obedience, obligation, or compliance. Contrary to this conception, the authors defend a positive interpretation where the rule of law results from the strategic choices of relevant actors. Rule of law is just one possible outcome in which political actors process their conflicts using whatever resources they can muster: only when these actors seek to resolve their conflicts by recourse to la, does law rule. What distinguishes 'rule-of-law' as an institutional equilibrium from 'rule-by-law' is the distribution of power. The former emerges when no one group is strong enough to dominate the others and when the many use institutions to promote their interest.

Law often purports to require people, including government officials, to act in ways they think are morally wrong or harmful. What is it about law that can justify such a claim? In A Matter of Dispute: Morality, Democracy, and Law, Christopher J. Peters offers an answer to this question, one that illuminates the unique appeal of democratic government, the peculiar structure of adversary adjudication, and the contested legitimacy of constitutional judicial review. Peters contends that law should be viewed primarily as a device for avoiding or resolving disputes, a function that implies certain core properties of authoritative legal procedures. Those properties - competence and impartiality - give democracy its advantage over other forms of government. They also underwrite the adversary nature of common-law adjudication and the duties and constraints of democratic judges. And they ground a defense of constitutionalism and judicial review against persistent objections that those practices are "counter-majoritarian" and thus nondemocratic. This work canvasses fundamental problems within the diverse disciplines of legal philosophy, democratic theory, philosophy of adjudication, and public-law theory and suggests a unified approach to unraveling them. It also addresses practical questions of law and government in a way that should appeal to anyone interested in the complex and often troubled relationship among morality, democracy, and the rule of law. Written for specialists and non-specialists alike, A Matter of Dispute explains why each of us individually, and all of us collectively, have reason to obey the law - why democracy truly is a system of government under law.

Discover the transformative power of majoritarian democracy with "Majoritarian Democracy," a vital addition to the "Political Science" series. This book offers an in-depth exploration of majoritarian democracy, its principles, challenges, and impact on governance. Understand how majority rule interacts with minority rights and how different electoral systems shape democratic outcomes. 1-Majoritarian Democracy-Explore foundational concepts and core principles. 2-Democracy-Situate majoritarian democracy within broader democratic theory. 3-Election-Investigate the role of elections in reflecting the majority's will. 4-Proportional Representation-Contrast proportional representation with majoritarian systems. 5-First-past-the-post Voting-Understand this voting system and its implications. 6-Tyranny of the Majority-Recognize the risks of majority dominance over minorities. 7-Parallel Voting-Learn how parallel systems balance majoritarian and proportional elements. 8-Majoritarianism-Delve into majoritarianism as a political ideology. 9-Majority Rule-Examine the principle of majority rule in democratic decisions. 10-Majority Criterion-Investigate criteria ensuring fair majority rule. 11-Minoritarianism-Explore the role of minoritarianism in protecting minority interests. 12-Geniocracy-Discuss the implications of geniocracy on majoritarian democracy. 13-How Democratic Is the American Constitution?-Assess the Constitution's alignment with majoritarian principles. 14-Elections in Georgia (Country)-Review Georgia's electoral systems for a comparative perspective. 15-Liberal Democracy-Explore the relationship between majoritarian and liberal democratic principles. 16-Semi-proportional Representation-Analyze systems that balance majority rule with minority representation. 17-Electoral System-Explore various electoral systems shaping political outcomes. 18-Majoritarian Representation-Understand majoritarian representation in different frameworks. 19-Outline of Political Science-Get an overview of political science concepts relevant to majoritarian democracy. 20-Mixed Electoral System-Examine systems integrating majoritarian and proportional elements. 21-Mixed-member Majoritarian Representation-Explore balanced democratic outcomes through mixed-member majoritarian representation. "Majoritarian Democracy" is your key to unlocking the complexities of democratic governance. Its clear explanations offer invaluable insights for professionals, students, and enthusiasts. The understanding gained from this book offers lasting benefits and a deeper appreciation for democracy's dynamics.

This book challenges the wide use of majority rule in many constitutional courts for declaring statutes unconstitutional and argues that these courts should rather perform constitutional review by using supermajority rules. Considering that constitutional courts often tackle hard moral issues, it is questionable whether a bare majority of judges should suffice for settling them, especially considering these courts’ counter-majoritarian nature. Further, the wide use of majority rule for checking the constitutionality of legislation may increasingly risk their reputation. Such a concern is developing in the United States following a series of Supreme Court decisions. This book argues that majority rule is unjustified in constitutional review. This means that, in constitutional review, considering majority rule’s traits, there are no decisive reasons for using this voting rule over other voting rules. Additionally, the book argues that, when checking the constitutionality of legislation, constitutional courts should replace majority rule with supermajority rules. Thus, for declaring statutes unconstitutional, it is argued that more than 50% of the judges present plus one judge present should be needed. This book will be of interest to academics, researchers, and policy-makers working in the areas of Constitutional Law and Politics.

This volume explores the various strategies, mechanisms and processes that influence rule of law dynamics across borders and the national/international divide, illuminating the diverse paths of influence. It shows to what extent, and how, rule of law dynamics have changed in recent years, especially at the transnational and international levels of government. To explore these interactive dynamics, the volume adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together the normative perspective of law with the analytical perspective of social sciences. The volume contributes to several fields, including studies of rule of law, law and development, and good governance; democratization; globalization studies; neo-institutionalism and judicial studies; international law, transnational governance and the emerging literature on judicial reforms in authoritarian regimes; and comparative law (Islamic, African, Asian, Latin American legal systems).

This brilliant analysis of the nature of democracy draws on the hard-earned lessons of the ancient Greeks.