Working Group on Law and Democracy
The collected works of faculty and students associated with the Working Group on Law and Democracy.
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The Role of Courts and Constitutions in the New Politics of Welfare in Latin America
(Cambridge University Press, 2014) -
Diffusion is no Illusion: Neighbor Emulation in the Third Wave of Democracy
(Comparative Political Studies, 2006)This article develops and tests a specific model of the role of diffusion as a determinant of the magnitude and direction of regime change, using a database covering the world from 1972 to 1996. The authors find that ... -
Classifying Political Regimes in Latin America, 1945-2004
(Oxford University Press, 2007) -
Classifying Political Regimes in Latin America, 1945-1999.
(Studies in Comparative International Development, 2001)This article is about how political regimes should generally be classified, and how Latin American regimes should be classified for the 1945-99 period. We make five general claims about regime classification. First, ... -
From legal poverty to legal agency: establishing the rule of law in Latin America.
(Organization of American States, 2009-03) -
Inequality, Institutions, and the Rule of Law: The social and institutional bases of rights.
(Kellogg Institute, 2008-08)This article elaborates and tests a theory connecting the high levels of inequality in many Latin American states to the failure to develop mechanisms to effectively protect and enforce formal rights enshrined in ... -
The Role of Courts and Constitutions in the New Politics of Welfare in Latin America.
(Cambridge University Press, 2013) -
'A tale of two cities': The judiciary and the rule of law in Latin America
(Routledge, 2012) -
Gradations of Democracy? Empirical Tests of Alternative Conceptualizations
(American Journal of Political Science, 2000-04)A group of influential scholars has argued emphatically that democracy should be measured dichotomously. This position challenges-on both theoretical and methodological grounds-the widespread practice of measuring democracy ... -
Are Patriots Bigots? An Inquiry into the Vices of In-group Pride
(American Journal of Political Science, 2003-01)One view in the study of intergroup conflict is that pride implies prejudice. However, an increasing number of scholars have come to view in-group pride more benignly, suggesting that pride can be accompanied by a full ... -
Can Institutions Build Unity in Multiethnic States?
(American Political Science Review, 2007-11)We investigate whether political institutions can promote attachment to the state in multiethnic societies. Building on literatures on nationalism, democratization, and conflict resolution, we discuss the importance of ... -
Does the Process of Constitution-Making Matter?
(Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 2009-07-29)Constitution-making is a ubiquitous but poorly understood phenomenon. There is much speculation but relatively little evidence about the impact of different design processes on constitutional outcomes. Much of the debate ... -
Diffusion and the Constitutionalization of Europe
(Comparative Political Studies, 2010)This article begins with a rather forceful defense of the explanatory role of formal institutions—and, in particular, constitutions—in the study of democratization. Important aspects of constitutions play a significant ... -
On the Interpretability of Law: Lessons from Decoding National Constitutions
(British Journal of Political Science, 2012-10-09)An implicit element of many theories of constitutional enforcement is the degree to which those subject to constitutional law can agree on what its provisions mean (call this constitutional interpretability). Unfortunately, ... -
Beyond Presidentialism and Parliamentarism
(British Journal of Political Science, 2013-11-14)The presidential-parliamentary distinction is foundational to comparative politics and at the center of a large theoretical and empirical literature. However, an examination of constitutional texts suggests a fair degree ... -
Judicial Oversight in the Comparative Context: Biodiversity Protection in the United States, Australia, and Canada
(Environmental Law Institute, 2013-02)How effective are courts as policymaking institutions? Generally speaking, courts play a far larger role in American biodiversity law than they do in comparable Australian and Canadian statutory programs. As a result, ... -
Competing for Capital: The Diffusion of Bilateral Investment Treaties, 1959-2000
(International OrganizationInternational Organization Foundation, 2006-10)Over the past forty-five years, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) have become the most important international legal mechanism for the encouragement and governance of foreign direct investment. The proliferation of ... -
The Globalization of Liberalization: Policy Diffusion in the International Political Economy
(American Political Science ReviewAmerican Political Science Association, 2004-02)One of the most important developments over the past three decades has been the spread of liberal economic ideas and policies throughout the world. These policies have affected the lives of millions of people, yet our ... -
Gradations of Democracy? Empirical Tests of Alternative Conceptualizations
(American Journal of Political ScienceMidwest Political Science Association, 2000-04)A group of influential scholars has argued emphatically that democracy should be measured dichotomously. This position challenges--on both theoretical and methodological grounds--the widespread practice of measuring democracy ...
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