The spread of state-centered constitutions and constitutionalism as a dominant branch of public law and a lingua franca of contemporary politics and policymaking is arguably one of the most significant developments in late twentieth and early twenty-first century governance. Yet, as we head into an age defined by planetary challenges, the current crisis of constitutional democracy provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the constitutional project. Drawing on an extensive interdisciplinary and comparative inquiry, this book highlights the stark disconnect between constitutionalism's statist foundations and the existential, planetary challenges we face as humanity: mass global migration, climate change, unequal access to essential natural resources, and radical technological transformation governed by unruly multinational corporations. Ran Hirschl's expert analysis exposes the questionable suitability of the dominant form of constitutionalism, and of contemporary state-based public law more generally, to lead us effectively into the planetary epoch.
