The Meaning of Constitutional Government
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ment to the Constitution. People must be able to live their lives according
to certain well-known rules. A good constitution also helps a country to
achieve economic prosperity. When a country’s constitution does not
guarantee stability and continuity, no man or woman can plan for the future. When we make decisions, it is important that we know with reasonable certainty what the consequences will be.
Second, a constitution should restrain government from assuming
powers that rightfully belong to other political entities or to families or
individuals. This can be accomplished by limiting and dividing power. A
wise constitution may allocate certain powers to a central government and
other powers to regional or local governments; or it may assign certain
functions and prerogatives to each of the major branches of government—
the executive, the legislative, the judicial. Certainly a prudent constitution
will provide safeguards against arbitrary and unjust actions by persons
who hold power.
Third, a constitution should establish a permanent arrangement that
enables public officials and others with political authority to represent
the people they govern. To put this another way, with a good constitutional order the people ought not to be ruled by a group or class of persons quite different from themselves who do not have at heart the best
interests of the majority of the people. This does not necessarily mean
that a constitutional government has to be totally democratic. It also does
not mean that a good constitution must necessarily provide for ‘‘one
man, one vote.’’ There have been decent constitutional systems that were
monarchical, or aristocratic, or under which the right to vote was limited.
Fourth, a good constitution holds public officials directly accountable
to the people. This means that the governing class or public officials must
be held responsible—under the constitution—for the actions they take
while in public office. Under a truly constitutional government, no man
or woman can be permitted to exercise arbitrary power—that is, to disregard laws or popular rights whenever it is thought convenient to do
so. All officials must be held accountable to established authorities such
as the courts of law, to the legislature, and to the voting public, and
should not be allowed to exempt themselves from the laws they enact.
Public officials should also be held accountable to fiscal inspectors, and