The Constitutions of Poland and of the United States, by Joseph Kasparek-Obst
(For professors, college students, high-school students and teachers, and interested adults.) This well-structured work explores the historical and intellectual connections between Poland’s Constitution of May 3, 1791, and the U.S. Constitution of 1787, and places both constitutions within the lineage of constitutional thought.
Kasparek-Obst begins by situating the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, which was the first modern constitution in Europe, against the backdrop of Poland’s decline as a sovereign state. He compares the Polish Constitution with the U.S. Constitution of 1787, which was drafted as the United States was emerging as a new republic after it gained independence from Britain.
The author shows the kinships between the two constitutions by highlighting their shared philosophical foundations of Enlightenment ideals, checks and balances, and the pursuit of liberty through structured governance. He also traces intellectual influences from thinkers like Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Locke, showing how both constitutions drew from common European traditions of political thought.
Kasparek-Obst emphasizes the genealogical lineage of constitutionalism, linking Poland and the U.S. to broader Western traditions of representative government. He argues that both nations contributed uniquely to the evolution of constitutional democracy: the U.S. through federalism and separation of powers, and Poland through its pioneering parliamentary traditions and reforms.
He also provides a comparative analysis by examining structural similarities and differences. The U.S. Constitution of 1787 contains a strong federal framework, executive presidency, and judicial independence. The Polish Constitution of 1791 attempts to modernize monarchy, strengthen parliament, and protect the rights of Poles while balancing aristocratic and popular interests.
Kasparek-Obst underscores how Poland’s constitution was tragically short-lived due to being partitioned by Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1795 and disappearing from the map of Europe. Poland would not reappear as a nation state until 1918, following the end of World War I. Meanwhile, the U.S. Constitution endured and continued to evolve.
There are also broader implications. The author suggests that studying these two constitutions together reveals the global nature of constitutional development and shows how ideas traveled across borders and influenced different societies. He also reflects on the symbolic kinship between Poland and the U.S. as they both strived for liberty under challenging circumstances.
In summary, Kasparek-Obst’s book presents four major points. First, Poland’s May 3, 1791 Constitution was Europe’s first modern constitution and was influenced by Enlightenment thought. Second, the U.S. Constitution of 1787 and Poland’s Constitution share intellectual roots but diverged in structure and longevity. Third, Kasparek-Obst frames both documents as part of a genealogical tradition of constitutional democracy that links European and American political thought. Fourth, the book is both a comparative study and a historical reflection on the fate of nations that sought liberty through law.
