Influence of U.S. Constitution Declining Globally

February 20, 2012

The U.S. Constitution was once a model for other nations when writing or updating their own constitutions, but according to a new study, that influence has declined dramatically around the world, the Christian Post reports. The influence of the U.S. Constitution on other constitutions peaked in the 1970s, but has done "a nosedive" since the 1990s, said David Law, professor of law and political science at Washington University and a co-author of the study, "The Declining Influence of the United States Constitution." According to Law, the main reason for the decline is that other nations feel "the text of the [U.S. Constitution] is old and there are other, better examples of well-written constitutions that [they] can emulate."