“LegitimationbyConstitution“isthephrase,coinedbydistinguishedauthorsFrankMichelmanandAlessandroFerrara,forakeyideainRawlsianpoliticalliberalismofarelianceonadualistformofdemocracy-asubjectionofground-levellawmakingtotheconstraintsofahigher-lawconstitutionthatmostcitizenscouldfindacceptableasaframeworkfortheirpolitics-asaresponsetotheproblemofmaintainingaliberallyjust,stable,andoppression-freedemocraticgovernmentinconditionsofpluralistvisionaryconflict.LegitimationbyConstitutionrecalls,collects,andcombinesaseriesofexchangesovertheyearsbetweenMichelmanandFerrara,inspiredbyRawls’encapsulationofthisconceptioninhisproposedliberalprincipleoflegitimacy.Fromasharedstandpointofsympatheticidentificationwiththepolitical-liberalstatementoftheproblem,forwhichlegitimationbyconstitutionisproposedasasolution,theseexchangesconsidertheperceiveddifficultiesarguablystandinginthewayofthisproposal’sfulfillmentontermsconsistentwithpoliticalliberalism’sdefiningideasaboutpoliticaljustification.Theauthorsdiscussthemysteriesofademocraticconstituentpower;thetensionsbetweengovernment-by-the-peopleandgovernment-by-consent;thechallengesposedtoconcretizationbyjudicialauthoritiesofnationalconstitutionallaw;andthemagnificationofthesetensionsandchallengesunderthelensesofambitiontowardstransnationallegalordering.Thesediscussionsengagewithotherleadingcontemporarytheoristsofliberal-democraticconstitutionalismincludingBruceAckerman,RonaldDworkin,andJ羹rgenHabermas.
