Jaime Balmes: Constitutional Politics at the Service of Conciliation

Nineteenth-century Spanish constitutionalism is usually interpreted as a pendulum swinging between liberal or progressive constitutions and moderate or conservative ones. This interpretation highlights constitutional instability and the minimal impact of constitutional documents on the nation’s poli...

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Published inThe journal of markets & morality Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 195 - 199
Main Authors Andreu, Josep M. Castella, Gregor, Joshua
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Grand Rapids Acton Institute 22.03.2020
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Subjects
Constitutional law
Political aspects
Political science
Honduras
Spain
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Summary:Nineteenth-century Spanish constitutionalism is usually interpreted as a pendulum swinging between liberal or progressive constitutions and moderate or conservative ones. This interpretation highlights constitutional instability and the minimal impact of constitutional documents on the nation’s political and social life. That is why the French writer Théophile Gautier (1811–1872), after seeing Iruna Square dedicated to the constitution—a phenomenon he would later see in every city and village—described Spain’s constitutional reality during his trip in 1840 as a coat of plaster on a granite building. He meant that the constitution was a mere façade covering a long-sustained reality, the Spanish nation. Josep M. Castellà Andreu, "Jaime Balmes: Constitutional Politics at the Service of Conciliation," Journal of Markets & Morality 23, no. 1 (2020): 195-199.
ISSN:1098-1217
1944-7841