Part I. Introduction: 1. Theoretical perspectives on the social and political foundations of constitutions Denis Galligan and Mila Versteeg; Part II. Theoretical Perspectives: 2. Why a constitution? Russell Hardin; 3. Constitutions as mission statements Jeff King; 4. Transnational constitutions Benedikt Goderis and Mila Versteeg; 5. The people, the constitution, and the idea of representation Denis Galligan; 6. The strategic foundations of constitutions Ran Hirschl; 7. Constitutions as contract, constitutions as charter Tom Ginsburg; Part III. Case Studies: 8. Accidental constitutionalism: the political foundations and implications of constitution making in Israel Adam Shinar; 9. The myth of imposed constitutionalism in Japan David S. Law; 10. Social, political, and philosophical foundations of the Irish constitutional order Paul Brady; 11. South Sudan's dualistic constitution Kevin L. Cope; 12. New Zealand David Erdos; 13. The juristic republic of Iran Binesh Hass; 14. Neo-Bolivarian constitutional design: comparing the 1999 Venezuelan, 2008 Ecuadorian, and 2009 Bolivian constitutions Phoebe King; 15. The constitution as agreement to agree: the social and political foundations (and effects) of the 1971 Egyptian constitution Clark Lombardi; 16. Explaining the constitutionalization of social rights: Portuguese hypotheses and a cross national test Pedro Magalhães; 17. Popular constitution making: the case of Iceland Anne Meuwese; 18. Romania's transnational constitution: a tradition of elite learning and self-empowerment Christina Parau; 19. The social and political foundations of the Nigerian constitution Charles H. Parkinson; 20. The once and future democracy: Argentina at the bar of constitutionalism Miguel Schor; 21. A battle between law and society in Micronesia Brian Z. Tamanaha; 22. Constitutionalism of shallow foundations: the case of Bulgaria Daniel Smilov; 23. The shifting foundations of the European Union constitution Neil Walker.