Constitutionalism Flashcards
What are liberals convinced of?
The need for government
What do liberals recognise?
The dangers that government embodies
What are all governments?
Potential tyrannies against the individual
How is government a potential tyranny?
Since government exercises sovereign power it poses a constant threat to individual liberty
Finish the equation:
Egoism + power = ??
Corruption
What did Lord Acton say about power?
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely
What did Lord Acton say about men?
Great men are almost always bad men
What do liberals fear?
Arbitrary government
What do liberals uphold?
Limited government
How can government be limited?
Through the establishment of constitutional constraints
Define a constitution
A set of rules that seeks to allocate duties, powers and functions amongst the various institutions of government
What does a constitution do?
Defines the extent of government power and limits its exercise
What is the first form that support for constitutionalism can take?
For powers of government bodies and politicians to be limited through the introduction of external and usually legal constraints
According to the first form of support for constitutionalism, what is the most important constraint?
What is this in some cases?
A codified constitution
A bill of rights
What is the second form that support for constitutionalism can take?
Constitutionalism can be established by the introduction of internal restraints
What do the second form of constraints’ internal restraints do?
Disperse power among a number of institutions and create a network of “checks and balances”
What did Montesquieu say?
Power should be a check to power
What do all liberal political systems exhibit?
Give an example
Some measure of internal fragmentation
Through separation of powers
What does internal fragmentation seek to prevent?
Any individual or small group from gaining dictatorial power
Give three other ways of fragmenting power?
Cabinet government
Federalism
Bicameralism
Give three things the constitution defines
Power of state
Relationship between political institutions
Rights of a citizen
