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The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory

Alex Latham-Gambi Orcid Logo

ICL Journal, Volume: 15, Issue: 1, Pages: 21 - 51

Swansea University Author: Alex Latham-Gambi Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1515/icl-2021-0001

Abstract

In this article I seek to defend three main claims. Firstly, that the kinds of practices that are the object of study of constitutional theorists are undergirded by certain fundamental shared understandings. Secondly, that these shared understandings together form a rich fabric of meaning that is, b...

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Published in: ICL Journal
ISSN: 2306-3734 1995-5855
Published: Berlin Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2021
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56086
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spelling 2025-01-03T12:33:42.9473524 v2 56086 2021-01-20 The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory 8eb08f11c93bec9bc50e6622f644e5b6 0000-0001-6217-7432 Alex Latham-Gambi Alex Latham-Gambi true false 2021-01-20 HRCL In this article I seek to defend three main claims. Firstly, that the kinds of practices that are the object of study of constitutional theorists are undergirded by certain fundamental shared understandings. Secondly, that these shared understandings together form a rich fabric of meaning that is, broadly speaking, held in common across modern western societies, which I call the ‘constitutional imaginary’. Thirdly, that political institutions play a symbolic role as ‘repositories’ of shared understandings, which is crucial for the development, maintenance, propagation and evolution of the constitutional imaginary. On the basis of these claims I propose a distinctive role for constitutional theory: the interpretation of the social meaning of political institutions and the actions and events that take place in and around them. Journal Article ICL Journal 15 1 21 51 Walter de Gruyter GmbH Berlin 2306-3734 1995-5855 constitutional theory, interpretation, political institutions, social imaginary, symbolism 12 3 2021 2021-03-12 10.1515/icl-2021-0001 COLLEGE NANME Hillary Rodham Clinton Law School COLLEGE CODE HRCL Swansea University 2025-01-03T12:33:42.9473524 2021-01-20T11:06:51.1325502 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law Alex Latham-Gambi 0000-0001-6217-7432 1 56086__19273__a312a508b44c4a71a8b503ca88d201b1.pdf 56086.pdf 2021-02-12T09:55:06.2302937 Output 375397 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2022-03-12T00:00:00.0000000 true eng
title The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
spellingShingle The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
Alex Latham-Gambi
title_short The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
title_full The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
title_fullStr The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
title_full_unstemmed The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
title_sort The Constitutional Imaginary: Shared Meanings in Constitutional Practice and Implications for Constitutional Theory
author_id_str_mv 8eb08f11c93bec9bc50e6622f644e5b6
author_id_fullname_str_mv 8eb08f11c93bec9bc50e6622f644e5b6_***_Alex Latham-Gambi
author Alex Latham-Gambi
author2 Alex Latham-Gambi
format Journal article
container_title ICL Journal
container_volume 15
container_issue 1
container_start_page 21
publishDate 2021
institution Swansea University
issn 2306-3734
1995-5855
doi_str_mv 10.1515/icl-2021-0001
publisher Walter de Gruyter GmbH
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law
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description In this article I seek to defend three main claims. Firstly, that the kinds of practices that are the object of study of constitutional theorists are undergirded by certain fundamental shared understandings. Secondly, that these shared understandings together form a rich fabric of meaning that is, broadly speaking, held in common across modern western societies, which I call the ‘constitutional imaginary’. Thirdly, that political institutions play a symbolic role as ‘repositories’ of shared understandings, which is crucial for the development, maintenance, propagation and evolution of the constitutional imaginary. On the basis of these claims I propose a distinctive role for constitutional theory: the interpretation of the social meaning of political institutions and the actions and events that take place in and around them.
published_date 2021-03-12T07:59:19Z
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score 11.061174

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