Why do consitutions matter?

This film was made by International IDEA, to illustrate the importance of having a constitution. It illustrates what may happen if a country does not have a written constitution. The head of state may increase his or her powers, exclude minority groups, and only act in his or her own interests.

Without a constitutional limit on its power, the government may only act in the interests of a few individuals or families, instead of for every citizen. A constitution safeguards the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and puts the people in the driver’s seat of government. It also maintains the neutrality of organs of state such as the military, the civil service and the police, ensuring that they serve the needs of the people rather than the elite.