POL 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Constitution Act, 1982, Liberal Democracy, Organizational Chart
23 Feb 2016
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The body of fundamental laws, rules, and practices that defines the basic structure of government, allocates power among governmental institutions, and regulates the relationship between citizens and the state. In other words, liberal democracy is characterized not only by government elected by the people, but also by constitutional government. A constitutional government is one wherein the constitution effectively limits the power of the political elite. Thus in a constitutional polity [ ] the \constitution organizes, but also restraints. To define the structure of major institutions of government. To divide powers and duties among the various institutions of government. To regulate relations between the citizen and the state. To specify a procedure for amending the constitution. The laws governing a society must emanate from a known body according to set. The law applies to everyone, including government officials. The law will be enforced by proper courts. It must be possible for an individual to discover what the law is.
