Constitutional Monarchy
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where a monarch serves as the ceremonial head of state, with their powers defined and limited by a constitution. This structure allows the monarch to perform official duties while the legislative body holds the authority to create and repeal laws. Countries with constitutional monarchies often blend traditional royal ceremonies with modern democratic practices, providing a sense of stability amid political changes.
Globally, there are numerous constitutional monarchies, with varying degrees of royal influence. For instance, in Japan, the emperor's role is largely symbolic, while in the United Kingdom, the monarch holds some formal powers but primarily acts on the advice of the government. The constitution plays a critical role in delineating the powers of both the monarchy and the citizens, enabling public involvement through elections and legislative processes. Additionally, citizens can shape their governmental structure, as seen in historical referendums in nations like Australia. Overall, constitutional monarchies reflect a balance between tradition and democratic governance, allowing for both continuity and representation in political life.
Constitutional Monarchy
Guiding Premise
A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which the head of state is a monarch (that is, a king or queen) with limited powers. The monarch has official duties, but those responsibilities are defined in the nation’s constitution and not by the monarch. Meanwhile, the power to create and rescind laws is given to a legislative body. Constitutional monarchies retain the ceremony and traditions associated with nations that have long operated under a king or queen. However, the constitution prevents the monarch from becoming a tyrant. Additionally, the monarchy, which is typically a lifetime position, preserves a sense of stability and continuity in the government, as the legislative body undergoes periodic change associated with the election cycle. In 2024, there were forty-three monarchies in the world, most of which were categorized as constitutional monarchies; fourteen of those shared a monarch, King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Typical Structure
The structure of a constitutional monarchy varies from nation to nation. In some countries, the monarchy is predominantly ceremonial. In such cases, the monarch provides a largely symbolic role, reminding the people of their heritage and giving them comfort in times of difficulty. Such is the case in Japan, for example; the emperor of that country was stripped of any significant power after World War II but was allowed to continue his legacy in the interest of ensuring that the Japanese people would remain peaceful. Today, that nation still holds its monarchical family in the highest regard, but the government is controlled by the Diet (the legislature), with the prime minister serving in the executive role.
In other countries, the sovereign plays a more significant role. In the United Kingdom, the king or queen has some power, including the powers to appoint the prime minister, to open or dissolve Parliament, to approve bills that have been passed by Parliament, and to declare war and make peace. However, the monarch largely defers to the government on these acts. In Bahrain, the king (or, until 2002, emir or hereditary ruler) was far more involved in government in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries than many other constitutional monarchs were. In 1975, the emir of Bahrain dissolved the parliament, supposedly to run the government more effectively; his son later reformed the constitution to make the government more democratic.
The key to the structure of this type of political system is the constitution. As is the case in the United States (a federal republic), a constitutional monarchy is carefully defined by the government’s founding document. In Canada, for example, the king or queen of England is still recognized as the head of state, but that country’s constitution gives the monarch no power other than ceremonial responsibilities. India, South Africa, and many other former colonies within the Commonwealth of Nations (the English monarch’s sphere of influence) have, since gaining their independence, created constitutions that grant no power to the English monarch; instead, they give all powers to their respective government institutions and, in some cases, recognize their own monarchs.
A defining feature of a constitutional monarchy is that the monarch respects the limitations set forth by the constitution and rarely seeks to alter such a document in his or her favor. Even in the United Kingdom itself—which has no written constitution but rather a series of foundational documents—the king or queen remains within the bounds set by customary rules. One interesting exception is in Bahrain, where Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa assumed the throne in 1999 and immediately implemented a series of constitutional reforms to better define that country’s democratic institutions, including resuming parliamentary elections in 2001. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Bahraini protesters called for additional democratic reforms, however, and tensions between the ruler and his religious and political opponents continued.
Constitutional monarchs have at times protected minority groups, thwarted coups, served as a moderating force against populism and external security threats, and facilitated policy negotiations between political factions. At other times, constitutional monarchs have enabled military coups and dictatorships to take power.
Role of the Citizen
In the past, monarchies ruled nations with absolute power; the only power the people had was to unify and overthrow the ruling sovereign. Although the notion of an absolute monarchy has largely disappeared from the modern political landscape, many nations have retained their respective kings, queens, emperors, and other monarchs for the sake of ceremony and cultural heritage. In the modern constitutional monarchy, the people are empowered by their nation’s foundational documents, which not only define the rights of the people but the limitations of their governments and sovereign as well. The people, through their legislators and the democratic voting process, can modify their constitutions to expand or shrink the political involvement of the monarchy.
For example, the individual members of the Commonwealth of Nations, including Canada and Australia, have different constitutional parameters for the king or queen of England. In England, the monarch holds a number of powers, while in Canada, he or she is merely a ceremonial head of state, with all government power centered in the capital of Ottawa. In fact, in 1999, Australia held a referendum (a general vote) on whether to abolish its constitutional monarchy altogether and replace it with a republic. In that case, the people voted to retain the monarchy, but the proposal was only narrowly defeated. These examples demonstrate the tremendous power the citizens of a constitutional monarchy may possess through the legislative process and the vote under the constitution.
Bibliography
Bulmer, W. Elliot. “Constitutional Monarchs in Parliamentary Democracies.” International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 7 Aug. 2014, www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/constitutional-monarchs-parliamentary-democracies. Accessed 11 July 2024.
“Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy.” CBC News, 16 Mar. 2012, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-constitutional-monarchy-1.911958. Accessed 11 July 2024.
Ginsburg, Tom. “A World with Monarchs: Long Live the Kings and Queens.” The Japan Times, 7 May 2023, www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2023/05/07/commentary/world-commentary/global-monarchies/. Accessed 17 July 2024.
Jackson, D. Michael, editor. The Canadian Kingdom: 150 Years of Constitutional Monarchy. Dundurn, 2018.
“The Role of the Monarchy.” Royal.gov.uk, Royal Household, www.royal.uk/the-role-of-the-monarchy. Accessed 11 July 2024.