The Cambridge Handbook on the Material Constitution

Considers the concept of the material constitution from an international and interdisciplinary perspective.

Marco Goldoni (Edited by), Michael A. Wilkinson (Edited by)

9781316519462, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 January 2023

500 pages
26.3 x 18.5 x 2.7 cm, 0.93 kg

Despite a long and venerable tradition, the material constitution almost disappeared from constitutional scholarship after the Second World War. Its marginalisation saw the rise of a normative and legalistic style in constitutional law that neglected the role of social reality and political economy. This collection not only retrieves the history and development of the concept of the material constitution, but it tests its theoretical and practical relevance in the contemporary world. With essays from a diverse range of contributors, the collection demonstrates that the material constitution speaks to several pressing issues, from the significance of economic development in constitutional orders to questions of constitutional identity. Offering original analyses supported by international case studies, this book develops a new model of constitutional reality, one that informs our understanding of the world in profound ways.

Introduction: the return of the material constitution Marco Goldoni and Michael A. Wilkinson
Part I. History: 1. The tradition of the material constitution in Western Marxism Marco Goldoni and Michael A. Wilkinson
2. The soul of the state: the question of constitutional identity in Carl Schmitt's Verfassungslehre Jens Meierhenrich
3. Laski's materialist analysis of the British constitution Martin Loughlin
4. Rudolf Smend's legacy in German constitutional theory Tim Wihl
5., The constitution in the material sense according to Costantino Mortati Lucia Rubinelli
6. The material constitution of the dual State Lars Vinx
7. 'A certain shadowy totality': in search of the material constitution of the United States Rob Hunter
8. 'The material constitution in Greek constitutional thought' Nikolas Vagdoutis
9. The constitution as social compromise: hybrid constitutionalisation and the legacy of Wolfgang Abendroth Kolja Möller
10. 'Self-justifying law of constitutional law': the material constitution in Rudolf Wiethölter's critical systems theory Gunther Teubner
Part II. Challenges: 11. The material constitution and imperialism Eva Nanopoulos
12. The material constitution of Federation Signe Rehling Larsen
13. The materialist turn in constitutional thought Emilios Christodoulidis
14. Three registers of the material constitution Neil Walker
15. What matter(s)? a processual view of the material constitution Mariano Croce
16. The material constitution and the rule of recognition Francesco Bilancia and Stefano Civitarese Matteucci
17. Constitutional matter and form (an exploration of constitutional language) Denis Baranger
Part III. Analyses: 18. A material understanding of constitutional changes: revisiting 'constitutional maintenance' doctrines Graziella Romeo
19. The material constitution in Latin American courts Mariana Velasco-Rivera and Joel Colón-Ríos
20. A materialist analysis of the Indian constitution Sandipto Dasgupta
21. China's material constitution Bui Ngoc Son
22. The material constitution and extractive political economy: lessons from Mongolia Jennifer Lander
23. The military in the material constitution of Turkey Tarik Olcay
24. The material constitution of international investment law Jessica Lawrence and Tom Flynn
25. The 'terrible' functional constitution of the European Union: 'sound money', economic freedom(s) and 'free competition' Agustin José Menéndez.

Subject Areas: Constitutional & administrative law [LND], Political economy [KCP], History of ideas [JFCX], Social & political philosophy [HPS]