What is Constitutional Monarchism?
Constitutional monarchism is support for a system in which a king, queen or emperor is head of state, but rules within limits set by a constitution, written or unwritten. In most modern constitutional monarchies the monarch has a largely ceremonial role, while elected parliaments and governments make policy. Supporters argue that a monarch above party politics provides continuity, national unity and a neutral figure who can act as a final safeguard of the constitution.
Core beliefs
- A hereditary head of state can stand above party politics.
- The monarch's powers should be limited by law and convention.
- Elected institutions should hold real political power.
- The crown provides continuity, national identity and a link to history.
- Ceremony and symbols help build loyalty to the constitutional order.
- Gradual change within existing institutions is better than replacing them.
History
Limits on royal power have a long history, including medieval charters such as Magna Carta in 1215. The modern idea took shape in England after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Bill of Rights of 1689, which made the crown subject to Parliament. The French thinker Montesquieu praised this balanced English system, and Edmund Burke defended it against revolutionary ideas. Benjamin Constant, a Swiss-French liberal, described the monarch as a 'neutral power' that could resolve conflicts between other branches of government. In 1867 the British writer Walter Bagehot distinguished between the 'dignified' parts of the constitution, led by the monarch, which win public loyalty, and the 'efficient' parts, led by the prime minister and cabinet, which govern. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many European monarchies moved toward this model, while others were abolished.
Variants
In parliamentary monarchies such as those in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Spain and Japan, the monarch is almost entirely ceremonial. In some other states, the monarch keeps significant powers over government, the army or religion, and the system is sometimes called a semi-constitutional monarchy. Some monarchists in republics campaign to restore a monarchy, usually in a constitutional form. Within monarchies, supporters range from conservatives who value tradition to liberals who simply see the crown as a stable and neutral head of state.
Criticisms
Republicans, including many on the left, argue that a hereditary head of state conflicts with democratic equality and that public offices should be open to everyone. Some critics also object to the public cost of royal households and to special legal privileges. From another direction, some traditionalist monarchists argue that a purely ceremonial monarch has lost the real authority that made monarchy valuable. Constitutional scholars also note that unclear reserve powers can create uncertainty in a political crisis.
In practice
Britannica lists the United Kingdom, Belgium, Norway, Japan and Thailand among current constitutional monarchies, and there are many more, including several Commonwealth countries that share the British monarch. In these states, the monarch typically opens parliament, signs laws, appoints the head of government according to election results and performs ceremonial and diplomatic duties. Debates continue in several countries about whether to keep the monarchy or become a republic.