Common Good Constitutionalism

Americans’ understanding of their Constitution and legal tradition has been dominated in recent decades by two contested themes: the 'originalism' of conservatives and the 'living constitutionalism' of progressives. Is it time to look for an alternative? Harvard Law School’s  Adrian Vermeule says the alternative underlies the American legal tradition. He calls for 'common good constitutionalism' which draws on “the classical synthesis of Roman law, canon law, and local civil law.”