Zachary Elkins is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Professor Elkins writes on issues of democracy, institutional reform, and research methodology. Much of his current research is focused on the origins and consequences of constitutional design. He also co-directs the project constitutionmaking.org, which is intended to provide constitutional drafters with usable insights from academic research on constitutional design. He received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. from Yale University.
1. Introduction
2. How long should constitutions endure?
3. Conceptualizing constitutions
4. A positive theory of constitutional endurance
5. Empirical implications of the theory: identifying risks to constitutional life
6. An epidemiological analysis of constitutional mortality
7. Contrasts in constitutional endurance
8. Contexts of chronic failure
9. Conclusion.
