This collection of essays is the result of a program of workshops and occasional
lectures that took place at Oxford University between 2009 and 2012 under the same
title as the book: Social and Political Foundations of Constitutions. The program
was sponsored jointly by the Foundation for Law Justice and Society (FLJS) and the
Centre for Socio-
Legal Studies (CSLS). The aim of the program was to gain a better
understanding of constitutions as social phenomena and their interaction
with
other social phenomena. The approach we adopted, as reflected in the volume, is to
combine theoretical analysis of constitutions generally with case studies of selected
constitutions. The result is a set of essays on constitutions drawing on the varied
perspectives of the social sciences. All but one of the chapters were presented and
discussed at Oxford.
Neither the program nor the volume would have been possible without the support
of the two sponsoring institutions, the FLJS and the CSLS. On this occasion,
the FLJS has been the senior partner in providing support for the program. It funded
the entire program, including the cost of mounting the workshops and lectures, and
assumed responsibility for their organization and administration. Accordingly, we
wish to acknowledge the contribution of the FLJS, and in particular its chairman,
John W. Adams, and the board of trustees. The CSLS, a research institute of Oxford
University dedicated to conducting research into law in society, enthusiastically supported
the program and encouraged participation by many of its research staff and
students.