ABSTRACT
Independently of its unsuccessful ending, and notably even before it, the recent attempt in Iceland to produce a constitution not only involved more citizen participation than is usually the case but also attracted much domestic and foreign attention. The general and unfortunate trend to discredit representative institutions—and the fashionable enthusiasm for deliberation and participation—is not the only reason for this interest. The popular involvement in the constitution-making process in Iceland pushes us to revisit the classical doctrine (or dogma) of the constituent power of the people. In this chapter, I will try to shed some light on this power, starting from the lesson that we can draw from the recent political experience of Iceland and its failure.
