Constitution, Constitutionalism and Forms of Government
What the domain tests
This section asks you to explain what a constitution does, distinguish it from constitutionalism, and classify governments by head of state, executive-legislature relations, and territorial distribution of power.
Core ideas
- Constitution: the body of rules that constitutes government, distributes powers, and limits them. It may be written or unwritten, rigid or flexible, and may include conventions.
- Constitutionalism: limited government, rule of law, separation of powers, and guaranteed rights. A country may have a constitution without constitutionalism.
- Forms: monarchy or republic; presidential or parliamentary; unitary or federal. These are analytical types, and real systems mix them.
Worked example
The United Kingdom has an uncodified constitution and a parliamentary system; the United States has a written, rigid constitution and a presidential system. The reasoning compares codification, amendment procedure, and the relationship between executive and legislature.
Traps
Do not claim a written constitution automatically ensures constitutionalism. Do not confuse a republic with democracy: a republic refers to an elected head of state. Do not describe India as a pure federation; it has unitary features.