Do constitutions matter? Are constitutions simply symbols of the political times at which they were adopted, or do they systematically affect the course of public policy? Are the policy crises of failing democracies the result of bad luck or of fundamental problems associated with the major and minor constitutional reforms adopted during their recent histories?

Preface. 1. The Course of Reform.
I: Constitutional Interests.
2. The Nature of Constitutions. Laws for Making Laws. 3. An Overview of Swedish Constitutional History. 4. Ideas and Interests in Constitution Reform. 5. The Consequences of Constitutional Reform. 6. Governance under Constraints.
II: Perfecting Parliament.
7. Popular Sovereignty and Constitutional Design. 8. Essential Procedural Methods and Constraints for Parliament. 9. Constraining Parliamentary Democracy to Advance the Majority's Interest. 10. Organizing Governance to Broaden Consensus: Beyond Majority Rule.
III: Swedish Lessons.
11. Appraising the Performance of the Swedish Constitution. 12. Constitutional Reforms of the 1970s and the Performance of Swedish Governance: Statistical Evidence. 13. Improving the Swedish Constitution. 14. Lessons Learned.
References: Books. Articles.
Data Appendices: A. Economic Data. B. Political Data.
Index.