Constitutional crisis

A severe conflict over constitutional rules or authority that existing political institutions cannot resolve through established procedures. It threatens the legitimacy or functioning of government.

Constitutional convention: An unwritten rule or practice that political actors follow despite lacking formal legal force. Conventions can guide conduct until rival actors disagree over whether they bind.
United States constitutional crisis of 1860–1861: The conflict over secession and federal authority that preceded the American Civil War. Secession exposed irreconcilable claims about whether states could leave the Union.
Constitutional dispute: A disagreement about the meaning, application, or authority of constitutional rules. Most constitutional disputes remain manageable; a crisis involves institutional inability to resolve one.
Constitutional legitimacy: The widely accepted rightfulness of a constitution and the authority exercised under it. A crisis can weaken acceptance of the rules even after an immediate dispute ends.
Constitutional resilience: The capacity of constitutional institutions and practices to withstand political stress and recover from disruption. Resilience helps explain why comparable conflicts end in compromise in some systems and breakdown in others.
Separation of powers: A system that divides governmental authority among distinct branches. A crisis often begins when branches dispute the boundaries of their powers.
Australian constitutional crisis of 1975: The dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by Governor-General John Kerr amid a budget standoff. The dismissal tested reserve powers and conventions in Australia's parliamentary system.
Political crisis: A period of acute instability or conflict within a political system. A political crisis need not involve constitutional rules or institutional deadlock.
Constitutional hardball: The use of legally permissible political tactics that violate established norms of restraint. Hardball can erode conventions and raise the likelihood of future institutional conflict.
Reserve powers: Discretionary powers held by a head of state, usually exercised without or against ministerial advice in exceptional circumstances. Their uncertain limits can become the focal point of disputes over who may act.

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