The New Constitutionalism and the Impact of Spill-Over

This article provides a preliminary examination of the political consequences of constitutional reform for the territorial management of the British State. Drawing on European integration theory, it argues that the constitutional reform process can best be examined through the lens of a modified neo ficnctionalist approach which allows the political scientist to: (1) study constitutional reform as a process; (2) describe what appears to be going on in the process; (3) identify factors of integration and disintegration; and, (4), predict future outcomes. It concludes that although the New Constitutionalism is likely to be plagued by factors of disintegration that will undermine territorial management and administration, these will be counterbalanced by factors of integration which will increase the radicalism of reform and the scope and intensity of change.