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Abstract:
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From Page 1:
"The American and Canadian systems of governance are characterized by many constitutions rather than one constitution. A necessary condition of a federal system is the existence of more than one constitution. In the United States, it is difficult to estimate how many governmental constitutions actually exist. One national and fifty state constitutions head the list. Within most states, numerous constitutions are embedded in organic legislation authorizing the establishment of counties, cities, and special districts and specifying the set of decision rules to be used in establishing, operating, and terminating these units of government. In home rule states, many localities devise their own constitutions (charters) in addition to those that have used pre-designed constitutions available through organic legislation. Special districts have been established with their own charters defining the limited rights and duties of citizens and officials included within those jurisdictions. The number of independent, actively used, public-sector constitutions in the United States today is in the thousands."
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