Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". ... It may therefore be said that the touchstone of constitutionalism is the concept of limited government under a higher law.

What does constitutionalism mean?

constitutionalism, doctrine that a government's authority is determined by a body of laws or constitution. Although constitutionalism is sometimes regarded as a synonym for limited government, that is only one interpretation and by no means the most prominent one historically.

What does constitutionalism basically mean?

In other words, constitutionalism is the idea that government should be limited in its powers and that its authority depends on its observation of these limitations. ... A constitution is the legal and moral framework setting out these powers and their limitations.