Sovereignty and exceptionalism: rights, constitutions and security

Christopher Thornhill

Chapter 16 in Research Handbook on the Law and Politics of Sovereignty, 2026, pp 286-304 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter investigates the evolution of constitutional sovereignty, tracing its origins from the military security needs of the seventeenth century to modern understandings that incorporate popular consent and fundamental rights. Thornhill highlights how early constitutions – though aimed at limiting state and military power – were nevertheless shaped by the pressures of war, functioning as instruments for the nationalization of military resources and the promotion of social integration through duties and rights.

Keywords: Rights; Constitutions; Security; Constitutional sovereignty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803926346
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