UNPACKING CONSTITUTIONALISM: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH

ABSTRACTThe focus of this paper is the theory of constitutionalism, a philosophy based on the classical liberal idea of the social contract that finds expression in modern concepts like quality of democracy. The conceptual relationship with associated notions like good governance, rule of law, political pluralism, and quality of governance is delineated. These important notions form the foundation of a constitutional democracy and shall be discussed with examples from Africa. In this paper, the philosophical and theoretical rationale for constitutionalism is interrogated. The paper establishes that there is relationship between constitutionalism, good governance, rule of law, political pluralism. Based on theoretical rationale and constitutionalism it was concluded that the quality of government judged from the institutional practices of an impartial state.