Constitutional democracy
Constitutional democracy is a form of
democratic government in which a
separation of powers is used to constitutionally establish a system of
checks and balances in order to reduce risk of
corruption. Constitutional democracy is based on a hierarchy of laws. The supreme form of law is the Constitution, to which all other laws passed by Parliament must conform.
Parliamentary democracy, on the other hand, is based on the idea that Parliament is supreme, or sovereign in the law-making process.
In ancient times,
India,
Greece, and
Rome had governments similar to constitutional democracies. In the
Middle Ages, much of
Europe was ruled by
monarchies. The form of government grew again in the
United States following the signing of the
Constitution in
1789. The government was divided into three branches:
executive,
legislative, and
judicial.
Since the ancient democracies of Greece and Rome did not have
universal suffrage they are often regarded as the pre-cursor to modern democracies, rather than being democracies in the modern sense.
Unlike the first genuine democracy in Greece, decisions in a constitutional democracy are not made by the
demos or
people directly but by their elected representatives. In many countries, such as the
United Kingdom,
referenda, the only means for a truly democratic decision, are non-binding. Other countries, such as
Germany, specifically prohibit referenda.
A constitutional democracy is best regarded as one whereby the
demos has some say in the government (such as by elections every 4 or 5 years) but does not control the government directly. However, by its very nature such a system of government inevitably makes it difficult for rulers to oppose significant public opinion - as they face losing any subsequent election. The powers of the government are limited by the constitution, in which minority rights, political equality and freedom of choice are supposed to be respected.
Constitutional democracies are commonly organized into the unitary, federal or confederate systems. In a unitary system, central government has most power, which it may allocate to the lower levels of government. In a federal system, law-making power is allocated between the central authority and the constituent units. In a confederation, a league of independent states, which retain full sovereignty, agrees to allow a central authority to perform certain functions, but the central government may not make laws applicable to individuals without the approval of the member states.
*
Argentina*
Austria*
Brazil*
Canada*
Chile*
Finland*
France*
Germany since 24 May
1949 for West Germany, since 3 October
1990 for the unified Germany
*
Ghana*
Greece*
Hungary*
India*
Indonesia*
Ireland*
Israel*
Italy*
Mexico*
Panama*
Poland since 3 May
1791*
Portugal*
Sierra Leone*
Suriname*
United States of America since 4 March
1789*
Constitutional monarchy*
Constitution*
Democracy (varieties)*
Federal republic*
Jeffersonian democracy*
Jacksonian democracy*
Republic*
Populist Party of America* [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html#2128 CIA World Factbook]
