The separation of powers and constitutional evolution of the system of public administration in modern Russia

The constitutional evolution of the system of state administration in modern Russia is considered based on the theory of treaty state. The system-forming features of the permanent process of separation of powers are the constitutional and monopoly exclusivity of powers. Monopoly exclusivity ensures, on the one hand, the dynamic stability of political systems, and, on the other, generates a unique disproportion based on the independence and self-sufficiency of the branches of government. The main directions of development and signs of separation of powers within the framework of existing theories are highlighted. A tool for analyzing the experience of institutional and organizational transit of the state and municipal management system is developed.

1. Constitutional History

This chapter surveys the historical evolution of the European Union in four sections. Section 1 starts with the humble origins of the Union: the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was set up by the 1951 Treaty of Paris. While limited in its scope, the ECSC introduced a supranational idea that was to become the trademark of the European Economic Community (EEC). Section 2 focuses the EEC, while Section 3 investigates the development of the (old) European Union founded through the Treaty of Maastricht. Finally, Section 4 reviews the reform efforts leading to the Lisbon Treaty, and analyses the structure of the—substantively—new European Union as it exists today. Concentrating on the constitutional evolution of the European Union, the chapter does not present its geographic development.

The Oklahoma State Constitution

In 1907, William Jennings Bryan described the proposed constitution for Oklahoma as “the best constitution in the United States today.” An enduring characteristic of Oklahoma’s constitution has been its faith in direct democracy and its root in Progressive Era politics. This book traces the historical formation and constitutional development of the state of Oklahoma. It provides commentary and analysis on the intent, politics, social and economic pressures, and the legal decisions that shaped and enhanced the Oklahoma constitution since it was adopted in 1907. The text gives a broad understanding of state constitutional law within the context of Oklahoma’s constitutional evolution.

Out of Time

The arrival of travelling professional actors in many Imperial cities disrupted festive schedules protected for more than a century. Focusing on two case studies—Nuremberg and Ulm—this chapter examines how the performances of the English Comedians interacted with civic cultures and changed them. It shows how the difficulty in accommodating itinerant theatre and the perception that it inflicted financial losses on urban polities led directly to the establishment of permanent theatre-houses. The travelling players are registered in cultural histories of these cities largely as an absence or negligible detail because those histories have generally subserved accounts of political and constitutional evolution. Yet the players’ introduction of commercial festivity assisted in the suppression of festive traditions and the long-term absorption of local cultures into larger political entities. The English Comedians were therefore important midwives of historical change. Urban governors struggled to recognize and place them: that struggle persisted within later history writing because their activities pose serious challenges to habits of chronologization and localization.

Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People

Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People declares that Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people. It also includes several symbolic and operative provisions which are designed to strengthen the Jewish character of the state. The Basic Law purports to legally define and entrench the particular rather than universal values of Israel—the values that distinguish Israel from other nations rather than those that are shared by other nations. It anchors the Jewish identity of the state in its formal constitutional structure. My aim in this article is to present the history of the constitutional evolution of Israel and then to describe the conservative reactions to the constitutional liberalization of Israel. Then, I turn to examine the Basic Law, its provisions, and the arguments of advocates and opponents. Last, I evaluate its impact on the Israeli legal system. I shall argue that the Basic Law is part of a systematic attack on democratic liberties in Israel that may eventually transform Israel from a liberal democracy to an authoritarian democracy.