Why State Constitutions Contain America's Positive Rights

Emily Zackin, Hunter College, City University of New York

Discussant: Walter Licht, History, University of Pennsylvania

Note: We regret that Nicholas Haysom, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Afghanistan, has been called to Kabul and will not be able to discuss 'Constitution Making in Africa' with us on November 15th as originally planned. Instead, we are fortunate to welcome Emily Zackin, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Hunter College, who will present the attached paper derived from her forthcoming book, 'Looking for Rights in All the Wrong Places: Why State Constitutions Contain America's Positive Rights.' Zackin's work explores how the making and re-making of American state constitutions from the late 19th century to the present saw the creation of educational, labor, and environmental rights often found elsewhere in modern national constitutions.