Unwritten Constitutions of Political Rule

Conceptual Approaches to Comparative Area Studies of Asia, the Middle East & North Africa, and Europe

Abstract

This article discusses conceptual considerations regarding the constituting and structuring of political governance in Asia, MENA (the Middle East and North Africa), and Europe. It investigates how formal and informal institutions combine with politics and unwritten political rules to form an “unwritten constitution” that acts as a de facto constitution for political governance. Particular emphasis is placed on interrelationships in the development of political governance, since influences between the world’s regions are not unidirectional, but interdependent and reciprocal.