Constituent power in and beyond the state

This course is set at the intersection of international politics and (international) political theory and approaches the topic of regional and global governance through the lens of constituent power.
Over centuries, the concept of constituent power developed mainly within the nation-state setting. Recently, however, it has been applied to political levels ‘beyond the state’ as well. In the first parts of the course, we will get to know and discuss the theoretical foundation of conceptions of constituent power for political institution-building and particularly for democracies. In the latter parts of the course, we will discuss the relevance, adaptation and ‘application’ of these conceptions - and of the idea of constitutionalism in general - to inter-, trans- and supranational settings. We will tackle debates about the self-determination of peoples, decolonisation and secession, conflicts surrounding European integration as well as discussions about international politics and global constitutionalism regarding the UN.