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The Living Constitution Of Ancient Athens: A Comparative Perspective On The Originalism Debate, Mark J. Sundahl
The Living Constitution Of Ancient Athens: A Comparative Perspective On The Originalism Debate, Mark J. Sundahl
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
This article provides a fresh perspective on the originalism debate by undertaking a comparative study of constitutional interpretation in the United States and ancient Athens. By observing how the ancient Athenians resolved the same interpretational problems that face the Supreme Court today, we are able to gain a better understanding of the issues that drive the originalism debate. The study focuses on Athenian practice in 350 B.C., which falls late in the history of the Athenian democracy, well after the legal system had achieved its final form. Like the United States, Athens had a strong tradition of judicial review and …
Altered States: A Comparison Of Separation Of Powers In The United States And In The United Kingdom, James G. Wilson
Altered States: A Comparison Of Separation Of Powers In The United States And In The United Kingdom, James G. Wilson
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
This Article initially will compare the United States Constitution and the British constitution both to evaluate Young, Morrison, and Misretta, and to develop a sounder approach to all structural issues. Comparative constitutional law provides some of the "experience" needed to decide abstract structural cases. Predicting the reverberations of a proposed change within a system will be easier if one has studied how similar alterations have affected similar organizations. The British constitution is particularly germane because it was a model for the American Constitution. The two countries have a shared legal tradition and frequently generate similar positive law. The British constitution …