Research Gary Jacobsohn
Professor Jacobsohn’s current research focuses on the question of constitutional
change in comparative perspective. In line with this interest,
he is exploring the concept of constitutional identity, about which
constitutional theorists have had relatively little to say. Professor
Jacobsohn is addressing this inattention with a philosophical and
comparative exploration of the idea. There are, according to the
argument being developed, attributes of a constitution that allow
one to identify it as such, and there is a dialogical process of
identity formation that enables one to determine the specific identity
of any given constitution.
Representing a mix of aspirations and commitments expressive of
a nation’s past, constitutional identity also evolves in ongoing
political and interpretive activities occurring in courts, legislatures,
and other public and private domains. Professor Jacobsohn’s exploration
of identity’s conceptual possibilities are centered in several
constitutional settings - India, Ireland, Israel, and the United
States – that highlight its distinctive
features.