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Questions tagged [constitution]

A constitution is a framework for government, and serves as a set of founding principles for the entity.

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Is there a right to petition in the Indian constitution?

Right to petition as in sending grievances and complaints to the government or a government body. The only thing I found was article 350 Every person shall be entitled to submit a representation for ...
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2 answers
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What is the theory behind using the 14th Amendment to ignore the debt ceiling?

President Biden raised a few eyebrows in that he's said he isn't ready to invoke the 14th Amendment and ignore the debt ceiling... yet. From Reuters President Joe Biden said on Friday he was not yet ...
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Has the Congress of the US ever passed an "Amnesty law" and are such laws constitutional?

Amnesty laws are laws that reduce the penalty of or allow the release of prisoners convicted of various offences i.e someone is convicted of an offence with a mandatory minimum imprisonment without ...
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6 answers
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Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities?

Does an individual have a right to be heard by state authorities of their grievances? Would such a right be possible to deduce from freedom of expression as defined in the American, Australian and ...
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What is the meaning of “qualified connection” in Federalist No. 51 by James Madison?

In the sixth paragraph of Federalist No.51, James Madison wrote, But it is not possible to give to each department an equal power of self-defense. In republican government, the legislative authority ...
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Constitutional amendments of India

Despite Article 4 stating that a constitutional amendment is not necessary for Articles 2 and 3, why was the 7th constitutional amendment passed for state reorganization?
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What led to the broadening of the scope of Article 21 of the Indian constitution to mean "due process" instead of "procedure established by law"?

The drafting history of article 21 is as follows: Draft Article 15 was debated in the Constituent Assembly on 6 and 13 December 1948. It provided for the right to life and personal liberty, subject ...
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4 answers
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Does German constitution provide preference to people who are ethnic German?

Does German constitution provide preference to people who are ethnic German? How does it define related terms? For example - what does ethnicity mean? Who are ethnic German? Does it mean that people ...
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How often is Article 49.3 of the French Constitution used?

According to recent news: On Thursday, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced that the government was resorting to Article 49.3 of the Constitution to force the bill through parliament ...
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Can Rahul Gandhi ask other democratic nations to intervene in their democracy?

Rahul Gandhi a sitting Member of Parliament of India who went to London and asked Europe and USA to intervene in what he sees as the collapse of democracy in India, which is a sovereign nation. Isn't ...
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In what way do "Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air and pure water"? State constitution or federal? Which article?

From CNN's February 22, 2023 Pennsylvania attorney general’s office will investigate Norfolk Southern after ‘criminal referral’ from state officials “Our office has been monitoring the train ...
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Why has Libertarianism achieved so little as a political ideology in the World?

Since Libertarianism can be defined as a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens, but when it comes to actual policies, ...
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6 answers
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Is it possible to expand voting right by ordinary legislation provided that there is no explicit constitutional restriction?

I have noticed that while many constitutions guarantee voting rights for its citizens, these provisions are often phrased in a way that does not preclude expanding such right to people beyond the ...
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A country without judicial oversight (over the constitution)

Marbury v Madison is a United States Supreme Court decision which (among others, I'm cherrypicking) establishes the power of the judiciary to be the final authority on deciding what the constitution ...
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Could the US constitutionally cement single-party rule in this scenario?

Suppose that a political party ("X") controls a simple majority of both the House and Senate in addition the the presidency. At this point in time, the Supreme Court is not relevant. All ...
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Requirements for citizens living outside the US to vote in elections

In the United States, people who are not residents of individual states cannot vote in federal elections for President, Senators, and Representatives. However, US troops stationed overseas are allowed ...
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How is the minimum age of candidacy for the Senate enforced?

According to this US Senate article, it can be enforced by the Senate. Could the Senate just not remove them? Or would that go to the courts? I remember something-or-other about the sovereign right of ...
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What motivated the amendment to the Algerian constitution allowing a 'special system' to be conferred upon municipalities?

In November 2020, Algerians approved a new constitution by referendum. One of the changes was to Article 16, to which the sentence in italics was added: The local authorities of the State shall be ...
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Which country has the most axiomatically defined laws?

Clarification: I am not seriously asking if a country has a constitution on the level of precision of formal logic. I meant which country exhibits “completeness” more than others, which tends in this ...
Julius Hamilton's user avatar
22 votes
8 answers
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What mechanisms exist for terminating the US constitution?

Donald Trump has called for the US constitution to be terminated. Apart from something akin to a civil war or dramatic societal upheaval, is there a mechanism which could enable the termination of the ...
Fred's user avatar
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States’ rights (tenth amendment) [closed]

IF the US Supreme Court says "X" is a state matter, and the Constitution offers no appeal (to a nonexistent higher court), but a US congressman proposes (or votes for) a federal law about &...
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Who selects the General Secretary of Indian National Congress or Bhartiya Janata Party?

What is the process to select the general secretary of the party? Does one have to be a publicly elected official to hold this post? Are there any regulations in Indian Constitution?
Up-In-Air's user avatar
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US presidential election: winning three times

Donald Trump has, according to his claims, been elected president twice by popular vote. However he has been denied the office due to claimed malfeasance of the state governments. If his claims are ...
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1 answer
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Has the 25 Amendment Inability Clause ever been used to remove POTUS

The 25th Amendment of the US constitution is in the top of my mind. This deals with succession in the event of the resignation, death, or incapacity of POTUS. It also allows for temporary incapacity, ...
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How does Ret. US Supreme Court Justice Breyer propose to "...decide cases in a way that will prevent social discord stemming from religion"?

In CNN's September 26, 2022 excerpt from Who's Talking to Chris Wallace Ex-Supreme court justice visibly emotional discussing Roe v. Wade reversal, Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says: ...
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Is there a constitutional contradiction to prohibit discrimination based on nationality while restricting voting right based on nationality?

Many countries have constitutional provisions which prohibit discrimination based on certain characteristics (i.e. age, nationality, etc) while also - within the same constitution - having ...
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3 answers
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How does one identify an enemy of the Constitution in the United States?

What are the criteria? Is there an explicit list? If there is a list, how robust is it in the face of changing times? Before one takes an oath to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and ...
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If a US State passed a law regarding the eligibility of Presidents, could it be enforced?

Suppose (the citizens of) a state were tired of government shutdowns and they or their legislature passed a law prohibiting members of Congress and Presidents involved in a governmental shutdown from ...
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2 answers
359 views

Reasons for time limits in constitutional amendments

The 18th, and 20th to 26th amendments, as well as the ERA and the DC Voting rights outdated proposed amendments, included time limits to their ratification. The time limit clauses vary in shape, form ...
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7 answers
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In what Western Countries has any party or coalition been elected gaining a supermajority or such majority permitting constitutional amendments?

For the sake of the argument, the "Western" countries should include all Member States of the EU, and countries conventionally understood to be part of the "West". Any time after ...
Silvassy Petrirov's user avatar
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1 answer
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What will the powers of the The Indigenous Australian Voice be?

Australia is considering a referendum to alter its constitution to create an "Australian and Torres Strait Islander Voice". The text of the amendment is as follows: "There shall be a ...
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Assuming Russia vetoes EUFOR mandate extension in Bosnia, can Dodik legally "kick out" all EUFOR troops, including from the Croat-Muslim federation?

There has been speculation that Russia may veto an extension of the EUFOR mandate, which despite its name is apparently operating under a UNSC resolution. Assuming that veto happens (and given the ...
264 champagne bottles on ice's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
1k views

Can a state delegate the creation of a law to an unelected agent such as the Supreme Court?

This is with regard to the constitutionality of "trigger laws" such as those that went into effect, automatically, after the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. I am neither a lawyer nor a politician, ...
Michael Macha's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
239 views

If instances of electoral fraud were found, or suspected, in a presidential election, what would be the constitutional procedure for resolution?

The Trump administration seemed to be of the view that if they could show that a state had suffered electoral fraud, the Vice President or the Attorney General could simply demand that those states ...
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3 votes
0 answers
69 views

At what point in the election process must someone aspiring to be president meet the requirements established in the constitution? [duplicate]

US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will reach the constitutionally required age to be eligible for presidency mere weeks before the 2024 Presidential elections. This means she definitely is ...
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6 votes
1 answer
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Can the Federal Government Revoke Statehood?

Is this possible? Texas v. White says that states cannot unilaterally secede, but not that they cannot be kicked out. The Constitution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admission_to_the_Union#Text) says ...
Richard Smith's user avatar
29 votes
4 answers
6k views

Why does the government not introduce an amendment to the constitution to allow abortion?

Since the polls clearly show that the majority of the American people disagree with the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, why does the US government not introduce an amendment to the ...
Joey Joystick's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
136 views

How can the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consist of absolute monarchies if the UAE itself has a constitution?

It would seem that the constitution of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would limit the power of its monarchs to some degree, thus they wouldn't be absolute monarchs. To what extent is the constitution ...
KarmaPeasant's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
318 views

Is there a formal notion of a declaration of war in the Ukrainian constitution?

In Feb 2022, president Zelensky declared martial law and general mobilization. Is there a more formal declaration of [state of] war he (or the Rada) could have issued, according to the Ukrainian ...
264 champagne bottles on ice's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
260 views

Constitutional limits on the Standing Rules of the Senate

According to this comment by @RickSmith: "Congress may not 'ignore constitutional restraints or violate fundamental rights, and there should be a reasonable relation between the mode or method ...
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9 votes
1 answer
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How does the unusual rule for dissolving Swedish Parliament come about?

Sweden - unlike other European countries - has a Parliament that serves fixed 4-year term. The Government can order extra elections to take place in between the 4-year term, but the extra elections do ...
QuantumWalnut's user avatar
19 votes
4 answers
6k views

Can the US government outlaw the buying, selling and manufacture of arms?

I know the US Constitution covers the right to bear arms, but can the government theoretically ban the buying, selling and manufacture of arms?
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1 answer
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How can Marbury v Madison be reconciled with what the Constitution explicitly states?

A key premise in Marbury v Madison is that the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction is clearly defined by the Constitution, and therefore a legislative act that redistributes the jurisdiction must be ...
Alex's user avatar
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18 votes
5 answers
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On what basis could the US federal government codify Roe v. Wade?

There are proposals to pass a federal law allowing abortion in all states, in case Roe v. Wade is overturned. Ignoring the political feasibility of passing such a law, on what constitutional basis can ...
zale's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
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Germany putting industries or facilities "under state management" if they don't cooperate; provisions for it in the constitution? Precedent?

Fox News' April 28, 2022 Germany drops opposition to Russia oil embargo: report includes the following: The reversal from Germany – which had been one of the main opponents of the EU severing its oil ...
uhoh's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
515 views

When Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment, why didn't they include the time limit in the amendment itself?

The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972 and submitted to the states for ratification. Congress imposed (or tried to impose?) a 7-year time limit on ratification. There was precedent ...
Keith Thompson's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
160 views

How common is for presidential term extensions to be bundled with other issues in referendums?

By presidential term extensions, I mean broadly measures like: allowing more terms than before, extending their length, and even allowing special purpose measures that effectively apply the previous ...
264 champagne bottles on ice's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
279 views

What compromises were forged or brokered by Benjamin Franklin in the US constitution that would be considered "tragic" by historian Ken Burns?

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's April 2, 2022 Ken Burns Was Watching "Homeland" When He Realized Mandy Patinkin Should Be His Ben Franklin begins with noted historian and documentarian ...
uhoh's user avatar
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-5 votes
2 answers
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Is the discontinuation of the petitioning system "We the People" constitutional?

On January 20, 2021, the day of the Inauguration of Joe Biden, the website of We the People petitioning system https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/about started redirecting to the main whitehouse.gov ...
No One's user avatar
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-2 votes
1 answer
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Is it legitimate/constitutional for the White House to turn off the comments on their YouTube videos?

I wonder if it is legitimate/constitutional for the White House to turn off their comments on YouTube videos, as they are doing currently. In 2019. Trump was banned from blocking the critics on his ...
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