Constitutionalism is the belief that a government should rest on a constitution: a set of basic rules that even the people in power must follow. It is more than “this country has a constitution.” A government can print a constitution and still ignore it. Constitutionalism says the constitution is the highest rule, leaders cannot simply do as they like, and people’s rights are not a present the government may take back when that is convenient. You will hear this word from lawyers, journalists, and people who study politics; it sounds formal, and it is not everyday kitchen talk. News uses it when courts, presidents, or parliaments argue about how far power may go. It sits near “rule of law,” though actually that phrase is a little wider: rule of law is about everyone following the law, while constitutionalism is more specifically about the constitution standing above the government itself.