The Constitutions of eleven Nations

The Constitutions of eleven Nations

We live in a large and complex world. Being a citizen of the "West" in general, and of the U.S. in particular, gives one a view of the entire world, if one chooses to look. Here are documents drafted in the context of religion, liberation, revolution, and following great wars—all crafted with the type of concern and sincerity that characterizes the Constitution of your own nation. These documents show not only the legacy of the Constitution of the United States, but give us a clear picture of the cultures that drafted them, and a snapshot of the times in which they were drafted.

Of special interest are: the Constitution of Mexico, which quickly asserts its prohibition of slavery—even providing that slaves are free men when they cross the border into Mexico; China, with its rich preamble proclaiming the virtues of a socialist state that finally overcame China's feudalistic history; Japan, with its pacifist emphasis following the destruction of World War II; and India, land of one hundred cultures and nearly as many Languages, urges that no person may be discriminated against based on "religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them." Germany takes a different approach, referring to it's constitution as the "Basic Law". This document is the longest included here and perhaps the longest constitution in the world. If you know a bit about European history, this constitution tells a story of it's times since 1918. It also includes updates from the 1990 to 1992 ratification's of the European common market, in which Germany plays a central role by virtue of it's economic power, and from the reunification of East and West Germany.

Some of these documents are complete. Others were only available in a truncated form. The Constitutions of China, Germany, Iran, and Japan are presented in full, in the latest versions available in electronic form. These, along with the U.S. Constitution, may form the basis of a study comparing different forms of government.