Constitutional Coding
In order to estimate the formal legal integration of traditional institutions of governance in a country, we created a cross-sectional dataset on constitutional provisions of traditional governance of all United Nations (UN) member states’ current constitutions. Our dataset is dissected into three broad sections. In the first section, we provide data on constitutional provisions on so-called identity groups, presumably living under traditional authorities. We understand identity groups as collectives of people that share a cultural identity, language, historic tradition, institutions, and territory. In our second section, we record all information on the establishment, the rights, duties, and constraints of traditional institutions of governance. In the last section of the dataset, we collected information on the inclusion of customary law and the provision of collision rules respectively in the constitution and whether the constitution refers to traditional conflict resolution mechanisms. With this data, we will analyze the impact of constitutional integration of traditional governance on a country’s level of democracy and domestic conflict.