alleryStart learning →A constitutional government by definition is a
- government by legislature
- popular government
- multi-party government
- limited government
Show answer and solution
Correct answer: D. limited government
Answer: D. A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, BY DEFINITION, IS A LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
CONSTITUTIONALISM is the political doctrine that GOVERNMENTAL POWER MUST BE EXERCISED WITHIN LIMITS PRESCRIBED BY A CONSTITUTION.
The fundamental idea is that even majoritarian, democratically elected governments must be bound by rules to protect individual liberty and prevent tyranny.
A 'CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT' is therefore by definition a LIMITED GOVERNMENT — one whose powers are circumscribed by:
- A WRITTEN OR UNWRITTEN CONSTITUTION that defines the scope of government action.
- FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS that act as restraints on legislative and executive power.
- SEPARATION OF POWERS that prevents concentration.
- JUDICIAL REVIEW that strikes down unconstitutional actions.
- RULE OF LAW — every government act needs legal authority.
- AMENDMENT PROCEDURES that are formal and entrench certain provisions (in India, the BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE makes core features unamendable).
A government may be DEMOCRATIC and MAJORITARIAN but not CONSTITUTIONAL — e.g., a regime that wins elections but routinely violates fundamental rights, dismisses courts, suppresses dissent.
Such a government is 'illiberal democracy', not constitutional government.
Conversely, even a non-democratic government can in principle be limited by a constitution (constitutional monarchy with limited powers).
So the DEFINING FEATURE of constitutional government is LIMITS ON POWER — option D.
Why other options are WRONG:
(A) 'Government by legislature' — describes parliamentary supremacy, not constitutionalism. Indeed unlimited parliamentary supremacy is the OPPOSITE of constitutionalism.
(B) 'Popular government' — a populist or majoritarian government may not be constitutional if it ignores limits.
(C) 'Multi-party government' — describes coalition or pluralist politics, not constitutionalism. A multi-party government can still be unconstitutional.
Source: syllabus Political Theory / Carl Friedrich, 'Constitutional Government and Democracy' / Indian Constitution at Work.