While a number of books document Polish social and political history, few works comprehensively chronicle Poland's long-term constitutional history, and even fewer analyze Poland's contemporary struggle to establish a constitutional democracy. This book, by examining the recent development of constitutionalism in Poland in the light of her deeper constitutional heritage, addresses both areas.

This first time in paperback is the best comprehensive examination of the development of constitutionalism in Poland. In particular, this book examines Poland's long-term constitutional history, the adoption of a new constitutional framework after 1989, and the establishment of structures and procedures designed to institutionalize enduring respect for constitutional rules and principles. Notwithstanding continuing challenges in Poland, the groundwork for constitutionalism based on notions of limited government and reflective of European constitutional norms has emerged from the collapse of...