Constitutionalism and International Organizations

Peaceful cooperation among individuals and among states has be- come a globally recognized policy objective. The worldwide trend to- wards deregulation, market economies, protection of human rights and democracies reflects an increasing recognition that individual freedom, non-discrimination and rule of law are the best conditions for promoting individual and collective self-determination and social welfare. But in contrast to the long-standing constitutional theories for national democracies, there is a troubling paucity of theory on how to achieve a peaceful international order based on worldwide liberal rules. During the first half of the 20th century, government policies in international relations continued to be dominated by power politics, protectionism and pragmatic trial and error with tragic experiences of government failures, such as wars and unnecessary widespread poverty.