Compare And Contrast Absolutism And Constitutionalism

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Absolutism and Constitutionalism are two ways in which a government operates. For starters, Absolutism sis the practice of unlimited authority and in reality, complete sovereignty that falls in the hands of a single individual. In the 17th century, this “individual” would be a dictator or perhaps a monarch. In layman’s term, absolutism is simply when there is one leader who is essentially untouchable. The dictator answers to no one and is not able to be challenged by another agency. For example, in modern day, a government ruled with an absolutism view would be untouchable in regards to the CIA, FBI, and the likes. On the contrary, constitutionalism is quite the opposite. Under this form of control, the Government issues limitations; think checks and balances. …show more content…

Under an absolutism based government, the people are ruled by a single dictator. A prime example of a government similar to that of absolutism would be the Soviet Union under control by Joseph Stalin. Another example would be Adolf Hitler when he dominated Nazi Germany. Constitutionalism on the other hand is a form of government where checks and balances come into play. There is not a single individual who is able to control the entire government. Sure there are people who have more control than others. However, these people are not able to make decisions that would shake the government to its core. Why? Other members of the government would veto the individual and ultimately, put a complete stop to the disastrous plans that he/she had in store for the government. Another belief of a constitutionalism-based government is that there is a constitution that has been written and put into play. The constitution is similar to that of a rulebook per say. An absolutism-based government would never carry such a thing or even think about it for that matter. As has been noted, absolutism and constitutionalism are completely different from one

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