Sovereignty Across Generations

Constituent Power and Political Liberalism

Alessandro Ferrara author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:28th Feb '23

Should be back in stock very soon

Sovereignty Across Generations cover

Every cohort of voters may dream of being 'the people' under the sway of serial visions of sovereignty; or understand itself, more modestly, as co-author of a constitutional project in a cross-generational sequence rooted in the past and extending into the future. Sovereignty Across Generations offers a theory of democratic sovereignty and constituent power grounded in John Rawls's political liberalism. Neither exegetic nor abstractly analytic, this book assumes that 'political liberalism' is broader than Political Liberalism. In answering the question 'How is it possible for there to exist over time a just and stable society of free and equal citizens, who remain profoundly divided by reasonable religious, philosophical, and moral doctrines?', the paradigm implicit in Political Liberalism enables us to address facets of that question that Rawls sidelined in the context of his time. Following populist threats to democracy, which were still latent in 1993, this book responds to the urgency of clarifying the proper relation of 'the people' (as transgenerational author of the constitution) to its pro-tempore living segment in its capacity as electorate and as co-author of the constitution. An explanation of that relation brings 'constituent power' into the picture and unfolds in seven steps that form the conceptual backbone of this book. By taking new steps in updating and revisiting political liberalism, this book reconstructs Rawls's implicit view of constituent power beyond the pages dedicated to it in Political Liberalism and brings that view into conversation with major constitutional theories of the twentieth century. This book is a must read for all those interested in the fields of politics, philosophy, and constitutional law.

Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty. * Choice *
I regard Sovereignty Across Generations to be an extraordinary work fully deserving of the honors that have been bestowed upon it. The greatness of the book is to be found not only in its fidelity to the Rawlsian project but in its willingness to go beyond it. * David M Rasmussen, Philosophy and Social Criticism *
I consider Sovereignty across Generations (SAG) a fine, informative, important and impressive book. * Johan van der Walt, Philosophy and Social Criticism *
Alessandro Ferrara's Sovereignty Across Generations: Constituent Power & Political Liberalism (henceforth SaG) is the most comprehensive and probing reconstruction I have come across of constituent power in a Rawlsian key. * Hans Lindahl, Ethics & Politics *
Great quality and depth. * Sebastiano Maffettone, Ethics & Politics *
Alessandro Ferrara's book, Sovereignty Across Generations,1 is a magisterial work by a master in his profession. * Iddo Porat, Jerusalem Review of Legal Studies *
Fantastic, lucid, full of insights, illuminating, well-reasoned, well-written. * Roberto Gargarella, Jerusalem Review of Legal Studies *
In Sovereignty Across Generations, Ferrara shows a mastery of every discipline he addresses, and the depth of analysis offered is remarkable. * Greta Favara & Roberta Sala, Biblioteca della libertà *
Alessandro Ferrara's magisterial Sovereignty Across Generations ('SAG') takes up for examination the tenacity, in constitutional-democratic self-reflection, of the pull of the conceit of a popular constituent power. * Frank I. Michelman, Philosophy and Social Criticism *

  • Winner of Winner, ICON-S Best Book Prize 2023, International Society for Public Law.

ISBN: 9780192871077

Dimensions: 240mm x 160mm x 25mm

Weight: 658g

336 pages