Constitutions and bills of rights: invigorating or placating democracy?

Abstract

Champions of constitutions and bills of rights regularly portray them as possessing significant, sometimes mysterious, powers. One characterisation is that newly implemented constitutions may invigorate a democracy, particularly at the ballot box. This paper challenges that notion by scrutinising a relatively unexplored area of constitutional performance: voter turnout. In particular, it examines a number of jurisdictions that have recently implemented constitutions and bill of rights, finding that in many of them, voter turnout decreased after passage, sometimes significantly. As the argument for a codified British constitution endures, the findings of this paper provide provisional evidence that those advocating for such a device should be wary of touting its potentially invigorating democratic effects. Ultimately, however, the paper calls for more research into the area of constitutions and democratic performance, such as voter turnout.

Proyek Lintas Batas Administrasi: Analisis Partisipasi Publik dalam Proses Perencanaan Ibu Kota Negara Republik Indonesia

“…Namun di sisi lain, penenteraman ini memiliki beberapa konsekuensi negatif dalam konteks pelaksanaan demokrasi. Jones (2018) menyebutkan terdapat dua konsekuensi penting. Konsekuensi pertama adalah hilang atau berkurangnya kritik dan pengamatan dari masyarakat.…”