Matching Constitutional Culture and Parchment: Post-Colonial Constitutional Adoption in Mexico and Argentina

Authors

  • Nikolai G. Wenzel University of Hillsdale

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17811/hc.v0i11.274

Keywords:

Constitutional adoption, Mexico founding, Argentina founding, Constitutional failure, Constitutional culture

Abstract

This paper compares post-colonial constitutional choice in Mexico and Argentina. Both countries adopted internally imposed, non-evolutionary constitutions inspired by exogenous ideas.  But Argentina's founders adopted a constitution that was radically mismatched to the underlying culture, resulting in constitutional failure and military coups.  Mexico's founders, on the other hand, took great pains to adapt exogenous ideas to endogenous culture, leading to constitutional stability for Mexico.

Submission Date: 06/08/2009

Acceptance Date: 03/09/2009

Author Biography

Nikolai G. Wenzel, University of Hillsdale

Assistant Professor of Economics at Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, Michigan, USA).  His work focuses primarily on the relationship between (informal) culture and (formal) constitutional constraints.  He holds a PhD in economics from George Mason University, and is a former US Foreign Service Officer, stationed in Mexico City (DF), Mexico.

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Issue

No. 11 (2010): Historia Constitucional N. 11 (2010)

Section

Iberoamerica

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