Another case of mismatched motives and outcomes — I teach a group of some twenty mid-career professionals, who are part of an innovative business program at the University of Texas. The group is carefully selected, and intentionally diverse — at least with respect to gender. The rapport during these classes is remarkably energetic, relaxed, and direct. This week…

Cómo leer las reformas constitucionales cubanas — El 24 de febrero, los ciudadanos cubanos acudirán a las urnas para votar (sí o no) sobre una revisión importante a su Constitución. El referéndum constitucional es hoy día una práctica común en las democracias modernas, pero en realidad es una práctica bastante extraña. No es fácil para los ciudadanos…

How to Read the Cuban Constitutional Reforms — On February 24, Cuban citizens will go to the polls to approve a major revision to their Constitution. This sort of constitutional referendum is now common practice in modern democracies, but it is an odd practice. It is not easy for citizens to arrive at an up or down decision…

On behalf of my colleagues at the Comparative Constitutions Project and Jigsaw, I am proud to announce the roll-out of Version 4.0 of Constitute, the site dedicated to the comparative study of constitutional text. Although Constitute was built for drafters and others in the Constitutions “business,” v.4.0 moves us closer…

During the final six years of the Obama administration, Americans became accustomed to polarized politics. Nearly everything of any importance that had to go through both the Capitol and the White House ground to a halt. Of course, Obamacare threaded that needle, but just barely, and has been in Republicans’…

For a presumably historic event, the making of a Constitution seems to happen a lot. Each year, approximately 4 to 5 national Constitutions are replaced and another 20 to 30 are amended significantly. The basic tasks in constitution-making — research, analysis, drafting, deliberation, and amendment — are not much different…

The answer, apparently, is yes. As of today (Constitution Day), a Google search on “constitution” squeezes the 4,500 word U.S. Constitution on a card at the top of the results (and a 3x5 card at that, at least on my screen). …

Some not-so-happy doping headlines from baseball pushed me to take a broader perspective on the game. Devotion to baseball sometimes surprises people, especially those who grew up without it outside the United States. Indeed, most fans have, at some point, felt obligated to defend the game, or at least explain…