Constitutionalism

Constitutionalism is the principle that government authority is limited by law and constitutional rules. It requires public power to be exercised within established limits rather than arbitrarily.

Separation of powers: The division of governmental authority among distinct branches with separate functions and powers. Dividing authority prevents one institution from exercising every form of state power.
Magna Carta: A 1215 charter that compelled King John of England to accept limits and procedures concerning royal authority. Its demands became an enduring symbol of placing rulers under law.
Constitutional dictatorship: A regime in which a leader or institution exercises extensive power through legal or constitutional forms while weakening effective restraints. It shows how constitutional language can coexist with concentrated, weakly checked power.
Fundamental rights: Basic legal protections recognized as limits on what governments may do to individuals. Rights turn constitutional limits into protections against particular forms of state action.
Judicial review: The power of courts to assess whether laws or government actions comply with a constitution. Courts can invalidate government acts that exceed constitutional limits.
English Bill of Rights: A 1689 statute that restricted royal powers and affirmed parliamentary rights after the Glorious Revolution. It established concrete legal restraints on monarchical authority.
Authoritarianism: A political system that concentrates power and restricts meaningful political competition and civil liberties. Authoritarian rule conflicts with constitutionalism when officials escape effective legal limits.
Constitutional court: A court with primary responsibility for deciding constitutional disputes and reviewing the validity of laws. Specialized courts can make constitutional review a central institutional safeguard.
Rule of law: The principle that public power is exercised under publicly known laws that bind officials and citizens alike. Constitutional limits depend on officials being subject to law, not above it.
Glorious Revolution: The 1688–1689 overthrow of James II and settlement of the English crown under parliamentary conditions. Its settlement strengthened the claim that royal power required legal and parliamentary limits.

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