Innovazione e tradizione nelle costituzioni del Novecento. Note preliminari

The balance that constitutions must find between tradition and innovation is a complex issue. Respect for the tradition is essential to signal the continuity of the political community; the planning of innovation is essential to signal the break with a constitutional order overwhelmed by history. Examples of such a difficult balance are countless (particularly significant is that of the Confederate States of America) and can easily understood by studying the evolution of political symbols, especially in times of constitutional transition. The issue of the balance between tradition and innovation is studied here with particular reference to the constitutions of the twentieth century.