Instituttlunsj: Untangling Buzzwords: Making Sense of the Vocabulary in the Anglosphere Literature of Constitutional Law

The role of English as a common language in comparative constitutional law is praiseworthy for fostering worldwide growth in the field. Nonetheless, an issue arises when English-centric institutions and journals coin too many buzzwords, which may seem novel but often lead to misunderstandings and hinder real intellectual exchange. New terms such as “populist constitutionalism”, “abusive constitutionalism”, “constitutional rot”, “constitutional dismemberment”, “autocratic legalism”, and “stealth authoritarianism” while seemingly meant to capture complex phenomena, often require further precision and clarity. The study will develop a conceptual map with legal and political insights to clarify and align old and new terminology in comparative constitutional law. It will synthesize established law and political science literature, reconciling traditional and new terms in comparative constitutional law.