What is the difference between a constitutional and absolute monarchy

The church was incredibly influential, and some power was shared with the clergy because of their strong influence on the citizens. Nobility could play a role as well. If there was enough opposition on something the Monarch did, power could be reduced. There was no other power than him - meaning there were no legislative, judicial, or executive powers. No matter what he said, even if it was sentencing someone to death, it was final. The Czars of Russia are another great example; until , the Czars had complete power over their subjects.

The idea of Divine Right and the power of the Czars was so deeply relevant in their history and culture that it took a long time for absolutism to be abolished. However, an Absolute Monarchy does not exist anymore, but the format of a Monarchy still remains. With a Constitutional Monarchy, an elected or hereditary Monarch is the head of state not a sole source of power.

There is a also Government that works along with the Queen or King. A majority of Constitutional Monarchies have a parliamentary system where the Monarch is the head of state, but there is a Prime Minister as head of Government.

To be clear - even though it is called a Limited Monarchy the Monarch still has power; they are the head of the executive branch. Looking back into history, the first official Constitutional Monarchy were the Hittites - ancient Anatolian people alive amidst the Bronze Age. Their king or queen was required to apportion their power with the Panku, which was an assembly. This Panku could easily be compared to a legislature today. Different kinds of noble families made up this assembly. Direct Democracy is where the citizens are included in the decisions the Government makes, but the Government is still in charge.

Sometimes, this term can be used for electing representatives in a direct vote as opposed to voting for an electing body, Electoral College, etc.

Instead, it was the democratically elected parliaments, and their leader, the prime minister, who had become those who exercised power. In many cases even the monarchs themselves, while still at the very top of the political and social hierarchy, were given the status of "servants of the people" to reflect the new, egalitarian view. In present terms , the difference between a parliamentary democracy that is a constitutional monarchy, and one that is a republic, is considered more a difference of detail than of substance, particularly in the common case in which the head of state serves the traditional role of embodying and representing the nation.

This is reflected, for example, in all but the most die-hard Spanish Republicans accepting their country's returning to constitutional monarchy after the death of Francisco Franco.

The above was particularly manifested in the fate of Picasso's famous painting "Guernica". The painter - who died in , while Spain was still under the dictatorship - stipulated that his painting should be returned to Spain only after the restoration of the Spanish Republic.

Nevertheless, in it was decided - after long and complicated negotiations - that the stabilization of democracy in Spain, though under a monarchy rather than a republic, in essence fulfilled the conditions of Picasso's will.

Accordingly, the painting was returned to Madrid, a step meeting with general agreement in artistic and political circles alike. Semi-constitutional monarchies are monarchies in which the Monarch has influence over the state almost to the degree of an absolute monarchy , but is limited in some small respect, perhaps by a pro-monarchist constitution.

An example of a semi-constitutional monarchy amongst UN member states is Liechtenstein, where in Prince Hans-Adams II won a referendum to change its constitution to give him more powers than any other European monarch of a "macronation" at that time.

The new constitution gave the prince the right to dismiss governments and approve judicial nominees and allowed him to veto laws simply by refusing to sign them within a six-month period; "The Reigning Prince shall represent the State in all its relations with foreign countries, without prejudice to the requisite participation of the responsible Government", or perhaps more importantly article 9 which states that: "Every law shall require the sanction of the Reigning Prince to attain legal force".

As well as this the Prince may in the case of a national emergency "take the necessary measures for the security and welfare of the State". While these are powers in theory held by many constitutional monarchs, e. An example of a semi-constitutional monarchy amongst micronations is that of the Empire of Austenasia. Under the Empire's first Constitution, enacted in , the Austenasian Monarchy was intended to be mostly ceremonial with few actual powers and with many prerogatives to be exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister.

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