Using Mixed Methods to Model Constitutional Court Protections of International Human Rights

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence and theory indicate that constitutional courts and national legislatures strategically interact to achieve favorable policy outcomes. These interactions could result in the national constitutional court educating legislatures on international human rights obligations and, through national laws, extending associated protections to all citizens. To identify concrete evidence of interactions between constitutional courts and legislatures, and to demonstrate their impact on human rights, I built a database of constitutional court cases and legislative debates from four post-communist countries. The countries included were Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, and Slovak Republic. This case study describes the evolution of the research from question, to database, to analysis, and to final dissertation. This case also provides insights into the use of mixed methods, here the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, to better explain the interaction of democratic institutions in countries transitioning to democracy.

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