A constitutional republic is a government where democratic voting exists, but individual power is limited by a constitution that protects certain rights. It differs from a pure democracy where the majority could implement tyrannical policies against minority groups. A constitution can be changed but requires more than a simple majority. Checks and balances are also present in a constitutional republic.
A constitutional republic is a type of government in which there is democratic voting, but individual power is limited by the existence of a constitution which protects certain rights. In a constitutional republic, people elect representatives and these people generally vote to make decisions or laws. The existence of a constitution makes it impossible for representatives to create laws that violate people’s rights in certain areas. For example, there may be constitutional provisions that protect a person’s right to own property or to speak freely. Lawmakers would not be allowed to create laws that violate these provisions unless they changed the constitution, which is usually very difficult to do.
Constitutional Republic versus Pure Democracy
According to government experts, there is quite a big difference between a simple democracy and a constitutional republic, both in terms of form and function. In a democracy without rules and without a constitution, the majority of the population could theoretically implement tyrannical policies against any minority group. The voting majority could do things to take away individual freedom if doing so would in any way further the interests of the majority. For example, in a pure democracy, the masses might decide to take land away from a certain group of people or limit the types of jobs certain people can get. Minority groups in a pure democracy might have difficulty getting the majority to support issues, laws, or policies that would help those not in the majority.
Change the Constitution
A constitution can usually be changed and amended, but typically requires much more than just a majority to do so. Indeed, sometimes people may have to go through lengthy and complicated processes to make changes or amendments to the constitution. One of the most common purposes of a constitution is to protect individual rights, including rights that allow individuals to express themselves politically or religiously, but the rights afforded in a constitutional republic can vary significantly from one culture to another.
Checks and balances
Another common feature of a constitutional republic is a system of governmental checks and balances. For example, there may be multiple government bodies or branches that have slightly different interests and goals, and they all may supervise each other. An example would be the US government, which has elected legislators, elected officials, and judges who are generally appointed but are sometimes elected to interpret passed laws and make sure they are constitutional. All of these groups generally have slightly different responsibilities and different ways of limiting each other’s power.
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