Abstract

Starting with The Calculus of Consent James M. Buchanan published many books and articles emphasizing the importance of constitutional institutions and the promise of constitutional reforms. In this chapter I review some of these publications. The review begins with The Calculus, and then goes on to The Limits of Liberty, The Power to Tax, The Reason of Rules, Politics by Principle, Not Reason, and essays about the importance of constitutions in the European Union. The chapter closes with discussions of the prospects of and impediments to constitutional reform in the United States and the European Union.