The power of national and transnational constitutional courts to issue binding rulings in interpreting the constitution or an international treaty has been endlessly discussed. What does it mean for democratic governance that non-elected judges influence politics and policies? The authors of Judicial Power - legal scholars, political scientists, and judges - take a fresh look at this problem. To date, research has concentrated on the legitimacy, or the effectiveness, or specific decision-making methods of constitutional courts. By contrast, the authors here explore the relationship among these three factors. This book presents the hypothesis that judicial review allows for a method of reflecting on social integration that differs from political methods, and, precisely because of the difference between judicial and political decision-making, strengthens democratic governance. This hypothesis is tested in case studies on the role of constitutional courts in political transformations, on the methods of these courts, and on transnational judicial interactions.

Im Mai 2019 wird das Grundgesetz 70 Jahre alt. Es galt gut 40 Jahre in der Bonner und 30 Jahre in der Berliner Republik. Das "Jubilaum" fallt zusammen mit 100 Jahren Weimarer Reichsverfassung, eine Verfassung, die stermische Zeiten kannte - und sie nicht eberlebte. Das Doppeljubilaum ist Anlass, sich eber das Grundgesetz, den von ihm verfassten Staat, eber unsere Gesellschaft und politische Herrschaft zu vergewissern. Was hat sich bewahrt? Wie wurde die verfassungspolitische Ordnung zu der, die wir kennen? Wie gut sind wir fer aktuelle und zukenftige Herausforderungen gerestet? Welche Rolle spielt das Verfassungsrecht, wenn es etwa um Identitat, Populismus, Migrationsfragen, Digitalisierung oder die demographischen Herausforderungen geht? Diesen Fragen geht der vorliegende Band mit Beitragen prominenter Autoren nach. Das Werk versammelt profilierte Denkerinnen und Denker aus der Rechts-, Geschichts- und Politikwissenschaft sowie Funk- und Printjournalismus. Sie suchen pointiert und adressiert an ein breites Publikum Antworten auf die Frage, ob unser Land in guter Verfassung war, ist, sein wird.

The power of national and transnational constitutional courts to issue binding rulings in interpreting the constitution or an international treaty has been endlessly discussed. What does it mean for democratic governance that non-elected judges influence politics and policies? The authors of Judicial Power - legal scholars, political scientists, and judges - take a fresh look at this problem. To date, research has concentrated on the legitimacy, or the effectiveness, or specific decision-making methods of constitutional courts. By contrast, the authors here explore the relationship among these three factors. This book presents the hypothesis that judicial review allows for a method of reflecting on social integration that differs from political methods, and, precisely because of the difference between judicial and political decision-making, strengthens democratic governance. This hypothesis is tested in case studies on the role of constitutional courts in political transformations, on the methods of these courts, and on transnational judicial interactions.