The Constitutionalism of American States

Each chapter in this comparative study reflects the constitutional history and theory of a single state. The colonial aspect of the New England and Mid-Atlantic states' history laid the foundation for national constitution-making. While North and South moved in distinct directions, the Border states wrestled with conflicting constitutional traditions in the same way that they wrestled with their place in the Union. The Midwest, united by the Northwest Ordinance, wrote constitutions defined by that act's parameters while reflecting each state's unique culture and politics. The Plains states developed a constitutionalism historically rooted in progressivism and populism. The Mountain West states created their individual constitutional identities in spite of the geography which defined them. Western states borrowed heavily from older constitutions, but their contributors borrowed differently--and in different proportions--in order to craft uniquely adapted constitutions.