ABSTRACT
Tracing the parties' coalitional behavior through the technical phases of the process yields a set of political phases. This coalitional/political phase analysis is the single most useful way to understand the development and outcome of the constitution-making process. The PCE, with only a slightly higher share of the popular vote, averaged a 7.23 percent presence in three of the technical phases of the process. The purely descriptive technical phases, the political phase analysis yields insights into how and why a constitution-making process succeeds or breaks down. Although often exciting, these phases mainly served as approvals of the work done by the respective preceding committees. For instance, when negotiations that have been largely accommodational terminate, drifting into a distinctly confrontational mood, a new phase is developing. The approval phase and the entire constitution-making process concluded on a high note. By tracking the maneuverings of successful coalitions through political phases one can obtain an analytical history of the process.
