TPL and Ryerson University present: How War Shaped Constitution-Making and Spread (and Limited) Rights.

Constitutional democracies face mounting challenges. In many countries, the resurgence of nationalism and populism threatens civil liberties and political rights. An exclusive conception of the people, and a growing belief that political majorities can act as they wish, leads many to question the checks and balances that constrain executive power, and the rule of law itself.

Yet these constitutions are modern phenomena. What explains their rise? How did patterns of war, the formation of the public sphere and struggles over empire influence the spread and nature of constitution-making? What forces are shaping the prospects of constitutionalism in the twenty-first century?

The critically acclaimed historian, Linda Colley (The Gun, The Ship and the Pen), examines these and other questions in conversation with Sanjay Ruparelia.

About this event’s guests:
Linda Colley
Sanjay Ruparelia

This event is co-sponsored by Canadian International Council.

About the series:
On the Frontlines of Democracy is a new public lecture series to analyze its prospects in the twenty-first century. Around the world, democracies face serious challenges, old and new. Can we protect our constitutional democracies in an era of popular mistrust, severe partisanship and resurgent nationalism? Can they reduce inequalities of power, wealth and status, defend deep diversity and confront climate change in the new digital age? Can we develop innovative strategies to revitalize civic engagement and empower public institutions to renew the promise of collective self-rule? And what can Canada offer, learn and do to promote the prospects of democracy, in a spirit of mutual learning, in our post-western world?

Linda Colley: How War Shaped Constitution-Making and Spread (and Limited) Rights