Is the United States in a constitutional crisis? Analysts disagree. Some argue yes, others no. But there seems to be little disagreement on whether the United States finds itself in a political crisis. A recent poll asked registered voters the following question: “Would you say the United States is in a political crisis, or not?” In response, 79% of all Americans answered yes, including 93% of Democrats, 60% of Republicans, and 84% of Independents. 

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Addressing a political crisis requires action from political leaders and the people to restore trust, reduce polarization, and strengthen representative institutions. Political actors should insist on non-violence, they should reinforce institutional checks and balances, and they should express and repeat frequently their commitment to upholding the rule of law. For their part, the people should build bridges across differences in their community, they should engage in activism that insists on legal and peaceful pathways to change, and they should invest in civic life. These constructive actions in daily life can help address what many Americans believe is a growing political crisis in the country.

I am so pleased to introduce you to Natalie Fox, a scholar of comparative constitutional law at Jagiellonian University in Poland. Her research focuses on the rule of law, unwritten rules, the impact of the EU on the constitutions of individual member states, and the institutional protection of human rights. She is also an attorney and a member of the Bar Association in Kraków.

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I am currently researching unwritten rules within codified constitutions and their significance in various political systems, particularly outside the Anglosphere. My work includes theoretical analyses and contextual examples, focusing on parliamentary functioning. I aim to propose a typology that captures diverse interpretations of these norms and highlights their crucial role in shaping parliamentary dynamics.

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My forthcoming research focuses on the critical integration of civic education into the EU accession process, highlighting the essential role of public awareness in safeguarding the rule of law and judicial independence. I will concentrate on effective communication between the judiciary and citizens to enhance trust and ensure accountability within democratic institutions.

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Particularly from my research conducted under a recently completed grant, I recommend my chapter Transparency and Government Accountability in Brexit Negotiations. It analyzes the UK's withdrawal from the EU, emphasizing the vital role of transparency in ensuring governmental accountability and balancing the constitutional functions of the executive and Parliament.

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Editor's Note: If you would like to nominate someone for a future edition of “Three Questions,” please let me know!

A new book calls for confronting the implications of the global dominance of English in the study of constitutions. What is lost or gained from this fact of constitutional life? What do other languages have to offer to our constitutional vocabulary? Published just last week, The Language of Comparative Constitutional Law gathers perspectives from over 20 scholars on language barriers and epistemic imbalances, language biases and contextual dilemmas, and legal translation and multilingualism. The innovative book is edited by Erika Arban, Maartje De Visser, and Jeong-In Yun.

 A new book on The Birth of Democracy in Latin America argues that democratization in the region was catalyzed by the professionalization of the military, the growth of political parties, and internal divisions in the ruling party. The book – which is available in open access! – is written by my colleague, Raúl Madrid, the Harold C. and Alice T. Nowlin Regents Professor in Liberal Arts here at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Last week, the University of Ottawa released the Supreme Court Experience, an interactive virtual experience that brings users into the building of the Supreme Court of Canada and introduces them to the work of the Court. This new online platform combines video, educational tools, and gaming technology for free to everyone interested in learning about the Court. 

Happy 20th anniversary to one of the most important articles in the field of constitutional studies, published by Ran Hirschl in 2005: The Question of Case Selection in Comparative Constitutional Law, appearing in the American Journal of Comparative Law. If you have read it, you know how foundational it is to the science of constitutional comparison. If you have not yet read it, I recommend it – you can read it here at no cost.

Congratulations to the new members of the Management Board of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (“FRA”). The mission of the FRA is to help safeguard the rights, values, and freedoms enshrined in the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights. To advance this mission, the FRA collects and analyzes laws and data, identifies trends, gives independent evidence-based advice on rights, and strengthens cooperation among fundamental rights actors. Congratulations to all new members, including some of my academic collaborators Matej Avbelj, Catarina Santos Botelho, Paulina Starski-Lutoborski, and Paloma Krõõt Tupay.

Every year, graduate students here at the University of Texas at Austin host a conference for early-career scholars, including graduate students, all around the world. The 11th edition of this conference – the Emerging Scholars Conference in Public Law – will be held on February 26-27, 2026. The keynote lecture will be delivered by Lee Epstein. The Call for Papers is now available here. The submission deadline is October 15, 2025.

It was a joy to receive a visit in my campus office from Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations. In this role, he coordinates the work of 56 members states on public sector governance, judicial transformation, human rights, and other initiatives to advance the rule of law. He is a scholar of constitutional law and public international law, and formerly served as the Founding Dean of Strathmore University Law School.