Constitution Paper

For this paper, you have been asked to provide your expertise to the National Democratic Institute (www.ndi.org), an international organization that works with countries to develop and strengthen democratic institutions. The Institute is currently helping two countries that have recently transitioned to democracies develop democratic constitutions. You have been asked to select one of the following countries on which to focus.

Country 1: Greenlandia

Greenlandia recently transitioned from 20 years of a soft authoritarian regime that was run by a group of individuals in a central committee, much like the Chinese Communist Party politburo. It has a population of about 25 million, which is roughly the size of the Netherlands. Greenlandia is ethnically diverse, but because of historical policies, members of the different ethnic groups do not live together in specific geographic areas, as they do in Eaglestan. Thus far, 2 large nationally-focused proto-parties have emerged. Several smaller proto-parties have also emerged, representing different sub-national groups and interests.

Country 2: Eaglestan

Eaglestan recently transitioned from 50+ years of authoritarian rule under a military dictatorship. It has a population of about 100 million, which is roughly the size of Mexico. Eaglestan is ethnically and linguistically divided. The different ethnic groups have their own languages. Each ethnic group is concentrated in a certain geographic area of the country. Thus far, 5-6 proto political parties have emerged, which are all representative of the different ethnic/linguistic groups.

Assignment

The NDI has specifically asked you to offer advice on the following:
? Structure?federal/unitary
? Executive?presidential/semi-presidential/parliamentary. If you choose parliamentary, you must also decide what type of head of state you will have (president/monarch).
? Legislature?unicameral/bicameral
? Electoral System?AV/SMD/PR/MMP/STV. If you choose PR, you must also choose at least 2 features that you will include in the constitution.
? Another institutional feature of your choice?this can include things like judicial set-up, electoral districts for minority groups, electoral quotas for different groups, compulsory voting, election dates, provisions for referendums, or something else of your choosing.
* We will be covering all of these institutions during the second half of the semester.
Format

Your paper will start out with a brief thesis statement/argument stating which institutions you?ve selected for your country and why. You will then discuss each institution you have selected and why you?ve chosen it in the context of your country. In your discussion, you should refer to the readings from class (H&H and BB readings) as well as outside readings. You should refer to similar countries that have these institutions as additional justification for your selection. For each institution selected, you should weigh the positives and negatives and why it is the best option for your country. Finally, you should offer an overall assessment of the entire set of institutions you?ve chosen. As a whole, is the set of institutions more consensus or majoritarian? You may want to consider outcomes such as representation, efficiency, or stability. This assessment is not your opinion, but should be grounded in the research you?ve done, experiences of similar countries, etc.
More Details

-6-7 pages, double-spaced, 11 or 12 pt. font, 1-in. margins + bibliography
-5 sources that are not from class, 2 of which must be academic sources (journal articles, books, book chapters). If you?re not sure what an academic source is, please ask. Two useful websites–https://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/scholarlyjournal.html
https://www.baylor.edu/lib/tutorials/index.php?id=59293
-Paper will be graded on both substance and style (see Writing Tips document)
-I?d encourage you to take your paper to the UNT Writing Lab– https://ltc.unt.edu/labs/unt-writing-lab-home. The Writing Lab also has some great resources on its website on citations, grammar, and plagiarism– https://ltc.unt.edu/labs/worksheets.

Useful Sources

CIA World FactBook– https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
IPU Parline Database– https://www.ipu.org/parline-e/parlinesearch.asp
International IDEA– https://www.idea.int/uid/countryview.cfm
Freedom House–https://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-world
Election Guide– https://www.electionguide.org/
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