Cet article présente deux raisons de faire confiance aux constitutions : premièrement, parce qu’elles encouragent et nourissent le sens civique du devoir. Un point essentiel concerne alors le degré de participation qui est accordé aux citoyens. Nous montrons empiriquement qu’une participation croissante, par l’intermédiaire de référendum, augmente le sens civique des citoyens, réduisant les fraudes fiscales. Deuxièmement, il faut faire confiance aux constitutions pour accroître le bonheur des citoyens. Là encore, la participation joue un rôle central.

Two explanations for the importance of trusting constitutions are offered : First, constitutions that convey trust towards citizens have positive effects by fostering civic virtue. A crucial factor of a trusting constitution is the extent to which the citizens are allowed to actively participate in the political process. We present empirical evidence that participation via popular referenda and initiatives can lead to higher civic virtue in the form of tax compliance. Second, constitutions can be trusted in the sense that the constitutional approach provides valuable insights to social and political problems. We show that different constitutional designs affect one of the ultimate objecitves of life – the happiness of the citizens.