The Written Constitution: Supporting and Maintaining the Liberal Democratic Tradition

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Introduction A constitution of a country is a written or unwritten set of rules and principles that a country abides by that takes priority over regular law. It dictates how laws are passed, governments are selected and the protection of rights and freedoms for citizens against each other and the government. There are two main methods in how a government sets up their constitution: a written constitution, or an unwritten constitution. A written constitution is a written document that clearly outlines how a government is to be run and includes rights and freedoms that protect the citizens of that country. An unwritten constitution is where a country follows constitutional conventions rather than follow a specific legal document. This constitution can be made up of several different written laws, but at its core, it is simply enforced through common practice and may not be applicable in court. Within a liberal democracy, the government acts to support liberty and equality among the nation such that citizens are equal in their political decisions to free and fair elections (Bollen, 1993, p. 1209). Also minimal government interference impedes their views, which is protected by human rights and freedoms outlined in a constitution (Bollen, 1993, p. 1210). With two distinct forms of constitutions it can be seen that a written constitution is more conducive to the liberal democratic tradition as it limits the government’s ability to amend the constitution arbitrarily to their needs. Minimal government influence and control allows for a liberal democracy to maintain its liberties and freedoms while holding equality amongst all as per the constitution. Main In the mid 1990s, Israel went through a constitutional change that saw them go from an unwritten constitution to a written one (Barak-Erez, 1994, p. 310). The Israeli government had a sovereignty of the

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