{"product_id":"constitutional-theory-9780822340706","title":"Constitutional Theory","description":"Carl Schmitt's magnum opus, \u003ci\u003eConstitutional Theory\u003c\/i\u003e, was originally published in 1928 and has been in print in German ever since. This volume makes Schmitt's masterpiece of comparative constitutionalism available to English-language readers for the first time. Schmitt is considered by many to be one of the most original--and, because of his collaboration with the Nazi party, controversial--political thinkers of the twentieth century. In \u003ci\u003eConstitutional Theory\u003c\/i\u003e, Schmitt provides a highly distinctive and provocative interpretation of the Weimar Constitution. At the center of this interpretation lies his famous argument that the legitimacy of a constitution depends on a sovereign decision of the people. In addition to being subject to long-standing debate among legal and political theorists in Western Europe and the United States, this theory of constitution-making as decision has profoundly influenced constitutional theorists and designers in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eConstitutional Theory\u003c\/i\u003e is a significant departure from Schmitt's more polemical Weimar-era works not just in terms of its moderate tone. Through a comparative history of constitutional government in Europe and the United States, Schmitt develops an understanding of liberal constitutionalism that makes room for a strong, independent state. This edition includes an introduction by Jeffrey Seitzer and Christopher Thornhill outlining the cultural, intellectual, and political contexts in which Schmitt wrote \u003ci\u003eConstitutional Theory\u003c\/i\u003e; they point out what is distinctive about the work, examine its reception in the postwar era, and consider its larger theoretical ramifications. This volume also contains extensive editorial notes and a translation of the Weimar Constitution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarl Schmitt (1888-1985) was a leading German political and legal theorist. Among his many books are \u003ci\u003eThe Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePolitical Romanticism\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Concept of the Political\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePolitical Theology\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLegality and Legitimacy\u003c\/i\u003e, which is also published by Duke University Press.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJeffrey Seitzer teaches at Roosevelt University. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eComparative History and Legal Theory: Carl Schmitt in the First German Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e and the editor and translator of Carl Schmitt's \u003ci\u003eLegality and Legitimacy\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEllen Kennedy is Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eConstitutional Failure: Carl Schmitt in Weimar\u003c\/i\u003e, also published by Duke University Press.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChristopher Thornhill is Professor of Politics at the University of Glasgow. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eGerman Political Philosophy: The Metaphysics of Law\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50845632266514,"sku":"9780822340706","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a8d10f7d-66bb-40f9-a83e-0456e94f732d.jpg?v=1737354640","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/constitutional-theory-9780822340706","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}