title: Designing Democracy: What Constitutions Do
author:  Cass R. Sunstein 
description: <br>"Sunstein takes the reader on a nuanced but spirited journey across a broad terrain of constitutional issues, from race discrimination to religious rights and presidential impeachment. <em>Designing Democracy</em> is a welcome change from the many books on constitutional law that sink under the weight of hermetic debates about interpretive methods. ...this approach brings a fresh perspective to many of the well-worn but still vital issues of American constitutional debate."--<em>New York Times Book Review</em>
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  * * *
  
  # OF THE INDEPENDENCY OF PARLIAMENT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### David Hume
  
  
  This page copyright © 2001 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  
  POLITICAL writers have established it as a maxim, that, in contriving any
  
  
  system of government, and fixing the several checks and controuls of the
  
  
  constitution, every man ought to be supposed a knave, and to have no other
  
  
  end, in all his actions, than private interest. By this interest we must
  
  
  govern him, and, by means of it, make him, notwithstanding his insatiable
  
  
  avarice and ambition, co-operate to public good. Without this, say they, we
  
  
  shall in vain boast of the advantages of any constitution, and shall find,
  
  
  in the end, that we have no security for our liberties or possessions,
  
  
  except the good-will of our rulers; that is, we shall have no security at
  
  
  all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It is, therefore, a ju