Introduction -- Constitutions and constitutionalism -- Conditions for a constitution -- Democracy, or taming an unruly friend -- Dangerous liaisons: separation of powers and checks and balances -- Federalism -- Parliamentarism and the legislative branch -- The executive power -- The rule of law and its executors -- Who guards the guardians? constitutional adjudication -- Rights -- Constitutions under stress -- Multi-layered constitutionalism, globalization and the revival of the nation state.