Constitutional Preambles

Reviews / Votes

'Preambles are sometimes called the "mission statements" of the Constitution, but are rarely examined in comparative perspective. In this comprehensive study, Voermans, Stremler and Cliteur integrate quantitative and qualitative analysis to explore the world of constitutional preambles across time and space. The result is a fascinating and entertaining survey that will enlighten students of comparative constitutionalism as well as political idiom and discourse. Highly recommended.' -- Tom Ginsburg, University of Chicago Law School, US '[The authors] have written the definitive guide to preambles. This book answers so many of the questions we might have about preambles - why and how they are written and by whom, when and where they emerged, and what they contain - and it moreover suggests new ones that will enliven the study of constitutional preambles for many years to come.' -- Richard Albert, Boston College Law School, US 'What emerges from this crisp and comprehensive account is an appreciation of how the constitutional preamble, perhaps more than any other legal form, declares the existence of the people who commit to abide by a set of collective, public principles. By excavating and elucidating these anchoring constitutional commitments, the book is as much a resource for constitutional theory as for comparative constitutional law.' -- Kevin M. Stack, Vanderbilt University Law School, US 'The volume by Voermans, Stremler and Cliteur is an original and valuable work, as it provides a comprehensive overview of preambles as well as useful analysis of contemporary constitutions and tendencies of so-called 'global constitutionalism'.' -- Review of European Administrative Law