Introduction

This chapter introduces the contemporary relevance of supermajority rules in constitutional adjudication, from their origins in the United States and Czechoslovakia to contemporary constitutionalism. The chapter further provides the book's scope, methodology, and an overview of its approach and main arguments, laying the groundwork for the ensuing comparative analysis. The study outlines the book's attempt to reveal how supermajority rules impact courts through an empirical study of eight jurisdictions and twelve supermajority models.