How does the Constitution establish a rule of law over government power?

• A. It limits governmental power through a written framework, checks and balances, a defined separation of powers, and protection of individual rights.
• B. It relies on the goodwill of leaders without formal limits.
• C. It concentrates power in one branch.
• D. It requires all laws to be approved by popular referendum.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the Constitution binds government to the law by creating a written framework that defines what power government can exercise and how it must act. This turns authority into something that exists within limits, not as a free pass for whoever leads. By separating powers into different branches, the Constitution ensures duties are divided so no single part of government can run everything. The system of checks and balances lets each branch review and constrain the others, reducing the chances of abuse and making government more accountable. Protecting individual rights adds a further safeguard, ensuring government actions respect fundamental liberties and providing a legal remedy if those rights are violated. Together, these features mean government power operates under the rule of law, deriving authority from and answerable to the written Constitution rather than from personal whim.

Relying on goodwill without formal limits would allow power to expand unchecked; concentrating power in one branch eliminates the checks that keep government within lawful bounds; and requiring popular referendums for all laws describes a different mechanism that isn’t how constitutional governance is structurally set up to restrain governmental power.