Constitutional government means
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
Constitutional government means a government whose powers are limited by the terms of the Constitution. A constitution sets limits on what the government may do, and the government may not go beyond them.
- ✗ (a) This describes a representative, federal government. Whether a government is federal or unitary is a separate question from whether its powers are limited by a constitution.
- ✗ (b) A Head with nominal powers describes the parliamentary system (for example India's President in practice, or a constitutional monarch); it is not the definition of constitutional government.
- ✗ (c) A Head with real powers describes the presidential system; the size of the Head's powers does not define constitutional government.
- ✓ (d) The third function of a constitution is to set limits on what a government can impose on its citizens; these limits are fundamental, so the government may never trespass them.
Remember · Constitutional government = government limited by the Constitution. It is defined by limits on power, not by federal structure or by how strong the Head is.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 1 “These limits are fundamental in the sense that government may never trespass them. Constitutions limit the power of government in many ways.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·