Political representation and revolution
reconciling law, political will and constitutional reason
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36399/GroundingsUG.2.269Keywords:
Constitutionalism, Legitimacy, Government, Consent, LawAbstract
At the heart of the idea of constitutionalism lies a paradox: on the one hand, the legitimacy of governmental power rests on the consent of individuals; on the other, such consent can only be expressed indirectly through already-established institutional forms. The political will, whether as a product of political representation, or as a rare moment of revolution, seems to be in a relationship of mutual antagonism with individual liberties. But if the moral reasoning underlying rights can only be the product of politics, then it is clear that politics must prevail over law and constitutional reason.
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