The Constitutional Framework

Abstract

The constitution of the Fifth Republic is of fundamental importance in shaping present-day political life and governmental activity in France. Written constitutions, within any particular political society, at least when they are the product of a genuinely indigenous movement rather than being imposed from without, perform a number of functions. They are likely to embody a critique of the situation that existed previously; they are a distillation of the broad political values of the ruling groups within society, and also, within democratic regimes, of as wide a spectrum of political opinion as possible; they incorporate a number of aspirations about the way in which the future political life of the society should develop and progress; they contain a number of specific rules which determine the balance of political power within society and legitimise political activity; and if they survive for a certain length of time they may become points of reference which shape and determine social and political values and policy-making as well as reflecting them.