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On this day six years ago--February 24, 2017--I came to the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a day-long interview to join the faculty. The key part of the interview was the presentation I gave. (I remember the title: “Amendment and Revision in the Unmaking of Constitutions.”) After the presentation, I was scheduled to have an office meeting with the Dean, Ward Farnsworth, an outstanding leader and scholar. Knowing that I am a football fan, Dean Farnsworth suggested that we take a walk to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the University's enormous 100,000-seat football venue. Here we are, on that day, standing at mid-field!

Today is publication day for Puerto Rico's Constitutional Paradox, authored by Jorge Farinacci-Fernós and published by Hart in our series on Constitutionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean. The book examines the many tensions in Puerto Rico's Constitution. To quote the author, the Constitution is “both original and colonialist, participatory and undemocratic, as well as progressive and anticlimactic.” A book worth reading!

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On Monday, the Centro de Estudios Público in Chile will host a discussion on how to design constitutional amendment rules. It will be a dialogue between Catalina Salem and me, moderated by Luis Eugenio García-Huidobro H. Professor Salem is a member of the Expert Commission created to write the new Chilean Constitution. All are welcome! 

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There is growing interest in citizens' assemblies as a vehicle for deliberative constitutional change. A recent paper on Citizen Deliberation and Constitutional Change offers an excellent overview of the design, use, and limitations of citizens' assemblies. I recommend the paper, both to understand how citizens' assemblies can be used in tandem with referendums and to explore new possibilities for innovative modes of popular constitutionalism.

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I have long enjoyed listening to Supreme Myths, a podcast hosted by Eric Segall. That's why I was thrilled to appear on the show this week to discuss how the US Constitution compares to others around the world in relation to constitutional change and to the vast powers of the Supreme Court. 

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Earlier this month, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University hosted a symposium on reviving the practice of constitutional amendment in the United States. I left the event believing that it might one day be possible, once again, to amend the U.S. Constitution, even though it is today unamendable.
Photo Credit: ©SLEZAK Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau

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