Part V Themes, Ch.44 The U.S. Constitution and International Law

Constitutions face outward as well as inward. They are generally written for both domestic and foreign audiences and to serve both domestic and international purposes. They signal to the world the presence and identity of an independent nation, entitled to be treated as such by other nations, while at the same time constituting an effective working government. Their concerns are in part dignitary and expressive, and in part functional. Those framing the U.S. Constitution were intensely concerned about the young country’s international standing and capacity to deal...