A Grammar of Constitutionalism : Enchantment of Plato, or the Ghost of Universality

This monograph seeks to answer a few eternal questions, which have not been answered to their fullest extent.   Why are some arrangements of the State suitable for certain peoples and not for others? What do Uganda, Fiji, Guyana, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia have in common? Upon the end of colonial rule, they all chose the classical Westminster model, opting for the republican form but hoping to do away with corruption and authoritarianism. However, they all ended up abandoning this form of government, as the situation got worse.   Are there universal principles applicable to all States? What commonality ensures that no nation can transcend the very nature of man? If this commonality is not the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, what is it?