NCJ Number
128930
Journal
Trial Volume: 26 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1990) Pages: 56-59
Editor(s)
E E Yeary
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Three-quarters of the world's constitutions have been written since 1965, many with U.S. help. The best constitution is an autochthonous one that meets the needs, wants, and aspirations of the people for whom it is written.
Abstract
There are many countries whose constitutions should not be flexible, where detail is important so that those in control of government are properly checked and balanced. The constitution that provides the maximum of separation of powers and checks and balances is in general the best possible constitution. The U.S. Constitution owes its longevity to the maintenance of a 2-party system and a respected Supreme Court that has kept the Constitution up to date. Constitutionalists from all over the world visit the U.S. to study our Constitution because it is the oldest and most successful in history. Lawyers in emerging democracies are both taking the leadership and doing the work in the writing of constitutions.