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Dear Friends:
As this interview with the Taipei Times suggests, the award of my Tang Prize comes at tragic time in my personal and professional life:
As a consequence, I would especially appreciate your own insights into the larger implications of Trump’s shattering assault on the foundations of democracy and the rule of law. Just send them on to me at: bruce.ackerman@yale.edu and I’ll be back to you as
soon a time permits.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Bruce
Taipei Times (June 18, 2026)
Bruce Ackerman Wins Tang Prize in Rule of Law
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Yale University law professor Bruce Ackerman has been awarded the Tang Prize in Rule of Law for advancing constitutional
governance and defending the rule of law, the award's selection committee said today.
Ackerman's pioneering contributions to constitutional governance and the rule of law have been inspiring, Tang Prize
Selection Committee for Rule of Law chairman Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) told a news conference in Taipei.
"His comparative engagements and passionate commitment to understanding constitutional legitimacy and popular sovereignty,
exercised across generations, have inspired constitutional lawyers around the world in their pursuit of social justice and the rule of law," Yeh said.
Ackerman, 82, serves as Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale Law School and is a member of the American Law Institute
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
A leading constitutional theorist, Ackerman has spent more than five decades examining constitutional legitimacy,
popular sovereignty and democratic governance.
Among his best-known works is the
We the People trilogy, which explores major transformations in the US’ constitutional order before turning its attention to the dangers of unchecked executive power and calling for safeguards to preserve constitutional government during times of crisis.
The books argue that constitutional change often emerges through moments of broad public mobilization, during which
citizens become agents of constitutional transformation.
Ackerman has also advocated greater public participation in politics, including promoting informed civic engagement
and enhancing democratic decisionmaking.
His scholarship has also examined experiences beyond the US, exploring how different countries have pursued constitutional
legitimacy and democratic transformation.
Ackerman's influence extends well beyond constitutional theory, Chang Wen-chen (張文貞),
a distinguished professor at National Taiwan University's College of Law, said at the event.
"His scholarship is distinguished by its ability to transcend time and space while integrating insights from law,
political science, history and economics into a coherent intellectual framework," Chang said.
Ackerman's work has also offered enduring guidance for improving the rule of law through constitutional legitimacy
and popular sovereignty while inspiring generations of academics and practitioners worldwide, she said.
Born in 1943, Ackerman received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1964 and a law degree from Yale Law
School in 1967.
He previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Earlier in the week, Susan Solomon and Ge Zhaoguang (葛兆光)
were named winners of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and Sinology, respectively, while Steven A. Rosenberg, Michel Sadelain and Carl H. June shared the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science.
Each Tang Prize category carries a cash award of NT$50 million (US$1.58 million), including NT$10 million in research
funding.
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