TANG PRIZE/Constitutional scholar Bruce Ackerman wins Tang Prize in Rule of Law

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) Yale University law professor Bruce Ackerman has been awarded the 2026 Tang Prize in Rule of Law for advancing constitutional governance and defending the rule of law, the award's selection committee said Thursday.

Announcing the award at a press event in Taipei, Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮), chairman of the Tang Prize Selection Committee for Rule of Law, said Ackerman's pioneering contributions to constitutional governance and the rule of law have been inspiring.

"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 currently 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, 82, 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 United States' constitutional order before turning attention to the dangers of unchecked executive power and calling for safeguards to preserve constitutional government during times of crisis.

The trilogy argues that constitutional change often emerges through moments of broad public mobilization, during which citizens themselves become agents of constitutional transformation.

Ackerman has also advocated greater public participation in politics, including promoting informed civic engagement and strengthening democratic decision-making.

His scholarship has also examined experiences beyond the United States, 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 Thursday's press 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.

She said Ackerman's work has also offered enduring guidance for strengthening the rule of law through constitutional legitimacy and popular sovereignty while inspiring generations of scholars and practitioners worldwide.

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 2026 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and Sinology, respectively, while Steven A. Rosenberg, Michel Sadelain, and Carl H. June shared the honor in Biopharmaceutical Science.

Each Tang Prize category carries a cash award of NT$50 million (US$1.6 million), including NT$10 million in research funding.