Constitutions Of Matter

Krieger's lucid discussions will help students of physics and applied mathematics appreciate the larger physical issues behind the mathematical details of modern physics. Historians and philosophers of science will gain deeper insights into how theoretical physicists do science, while technically advanced general readers will get a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of modern physics.

Does constitutionalizing rights improve respect for those rights in practice? Drawing on statistical analyses, survey experiments, and case studies from around the world, this book argues that enforcing constitutional rights is not easy, but that some rights are harder to repress than others. First, enshrining rights in constitutions does not automatically ensure that those rights will be respected. For rights to matter, rights violations need to be politically costly. But this is difficult to accomplish for unconnected groups of citizens. Second, some rights are easier to enforce than others, especially those with natural constituencies that can mobilize for their enforcement. This is the case for rights that are practiced by and within organizations, such as the rights to religious freedom, to unionize, and to form political parties. Because religious groups, trade unions and parties are highly organized, they are well-equipped to use the constitution to resist rights violations. As a result, these rights are systematically associated with better practices. By contrast, rights that are practiced on an individual basis, such as free speech or the prohibition of torture, often lack natural constituencies to enforce them, which makes it easier for governments to violate these rights. Third, even highly organized groups armed with the constitution may not be able to stop governments dedicated to rights-repression. When constitutional rights are enforced by dedicated organizations, they are thus best understood as speed bumps that slow down attempts at repression. An important contribution to comparative constitutional law, this book provides a comprehensive picture of the spread of constitutional rights, and their enforcement, around the world.

Excerpt from The Constitution of Matter The lectures which form the body of this book were delivered at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in the month of February, 1913, for The Norman W. Harris Lectures of this year. The fact that they were actual lec tures accounts for the form in which the text is given; and the further fact that the audi ence for whom they were prepared was com posed, for a large part, of people unfamiliar with both the facts and the methods of science must be accepted as the justification for the treatment of the subject. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

From the Preface. ...Few tasks are as difficult as that of conveying to a general audience a true impression of the results of scientific inquiry. One must avoid the Scylla of too great certainty and also the Charybdis of too great uncertainty. Even the proper words to use are a matter of doubt; and the difficulty is not lightened by the fact that, through the daily press and the popular magazines, many of the discoveries of science have been given exposition - in many cases, by people entirely ignorant of the subject. The plan adopted, after most serious consideration, was to accept the general theory of molecules and atoms as proposed by Sir J. J. Thomson and the properties of electrons as deduced by H. A. Lorentz, and to attempt to explain how from these one may deduce the general and even specific properties of matter. This method obviously is one suited only for a general audience; and even there it has its dangers. One is liable to produce the impression that our theories are verified, whereas they are but hypotheses still; but this is better, perhaps, than to leave the conviction that nothing is certain. It is difficult to make any body of listeners, however great their general intelligence, realize that in the end the great purpose of scientific investigation is the pursuit of Truth, the attainment of knowledge. Hypotheses rise and fall; the facts of experiment remain. The temptation is great to stop here and there and emphasize what is not known, what is not proved; and the real usefulness of the lectures is lessened of course by the fact that this was done so rarely. However successful the attempt has been, the main purpose of the lectures was to make clear to a body of people, not students of physics, some of the results of investigators in unifying our knowledge of the world around us.

As countries in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries change from colonialist to independent rule, or from a socialist to a democratic society, the need for a written constitution becomes apparent. Countries in the former Soviet Union, Africa, or nations once part of the British Empire face social, economic, and humanitarian problems as they experiment with democratic rule. Such issues as clearly defining where sovereignty lies, how much power is given to the people, and what rights are possessed by a nation's citizenry are new to these countries. While a constitution, being a man-made document, is subject to interpretation and does not always delineate in a lucid framework its parameters for future generations, it is clear that constitutions do matter.This volume, compiled under the direction of the City University of Stockholm, is an important study on the significance of constitutions and constitutional law in a democratic society. A number of scholars in law, political science, and economics have contributed to this volume. They include: James Buchanan, Aleksander Peczenik, Mats Lundstrom, Joakim Nergelius, Sverker Hard, Niclas Berggren, Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard, Wolfgang Kasper, and Erik Moberg. All add to the understanding of the intertwining roles of politics and the social sciences in a modern democratic state.They explore why a constitution is essential; the relationship between a constitution and a rational political system; the democratic principle of majority rule; why constitutional constraints are needed in a democratic state; recent constitutional reforms in the United Kingdom; the electoral system and its centrality in a democracy; evolution in constitutional change; competition within a federal structure; and the connection between politics and economics. Why Constitutions Matter is a fascinating and timely study of constitutionalism, and will be of interest to students of politics, law, economics, and sociology.

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