Constitutions

Constitutions are fundamental legal documents that set out the basic principles, structures, and rules by which a state is governed. They delineate the powers of government branches, define the relationship between central and subnational authorities, and protect the rights of citizens. Serving as the supreme law, constitutions constrain government action and provide a framework for how laws are made and interpreted.

Constitutions can be written—systematically codified in a single document or in several acts and amendments—or they can be uncodified, based on statutes, court decisions, and long-standing constitutional conventions. Typical components include a preamble; provisions establishing the legislature, executive, and judiciary; rules on elections and federal or territorial arrangement; and sections outlining fundamental rights and liberties. Many constitutions also specify how they may be amended and what bodies have the power to enforce constitutional limits.

Structures vary: some states are unitary with centralized power; others are federal, dividing powers between national and regional governments. Some constitutions vest sovereignty in the people, others in a monarch or other institutions. Judicial review—where courts interpret the constitution and strike down incompatible laws or actions—is a common mechanism to enforce constitutional limits, though the exact form and strength of review differ by country. In some systems, constitutional amendments require broad consensus; in others, they may be changed by a simple majority or through parliamentary processes.

Constitutionalism is the principle that government authority derives from and is constrained by a constitution, reflecting the rule of law and protection of fundamental rights. Examples range from the United States Constitution (a written, codified document) and Germany’s Basic Law to the United Kingdom’s unwritten-but-influential framework and India’s large, codified constitution with a comprehensive bill of rights.