Part I. Realism and Idealism in Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law: Theory and History: 1. The ideal and the real in the realm of constitutionalism and the rule of law: an introduction Maurice Adams, Ernst Hirsch Ballin and Anne Meuwese; 2. Tempering power Martin Krygier; 3. Between the 'real' and the 'right': explorations along the institutional-constitutional frontier Peter Lindseth; 4. The emergence of the rule of law in western constitutional history: revising traditional narratives Randall Lesaffer and Shavana Musa; Part II. The Rule of Law in Country-Specific Settings: Case Studies in Reconciling Realism and Idealism: 5. Rule of law, democracy and human rights: the paramountcy of moderation Sumit Bisarya and Elliot Bulmer; 6. The need for realism: ideals and practice in Indonesia's constitutional history Adriaan Bedner; 7. Constitutionalism á la Rwandaise Nick Huls; 8. Between promise and practice: constitutionalism in South Africa more than twenty years after the advent of democracy Pierre de Vos; 9. Idealism and realism in Israeli constitutional law Adam Shinar; 10. Idealism and realism in Chinese constitutional theory and practice Feng Lin; 11. Realism and idealism in the Italian constitutional culture Jörg Luther; 12. Constitutional culture in the Netherlands: a sober affair Maurice Adams and Gerhard van der Schyff; 13. Illiberal rule of law? Changing features of Hungarian constitutionalism Gábor Attila Tóth; Part III. Transnational Phenomena and International Developments: 14. The EU and the rule of law - naïveté of a grand design? Dimitry Kochenov; 15. Constitutional coups in EU law Kim Lane Scheppele; 16. Peer review in the context of constitutionalism and the rule of law Anne Meuwese; 17. Constitutional correlates of the rule of law Tom Ginsburg and Mila Versteeg.