--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A constitution is not a thing in name…" description: "\"“A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact. It has not an ideal, but a real existence; and wherever it cannot be produced in a visible fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/thomas-paine-267_constitution_a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-on_440856.png" --- # A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact… ![“A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact. It has not an ideal, but a real existence; and wherever it cannot be produced in a visible form, there is none. A constitution is a thing antecedent to a government, and a government is only the creature of a constitution. The constitution…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/thomas-paine-267_constitution_a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-on_440856.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/thomas-paine-267_constitution_a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-on_440856.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/thomas-paine-267_constitution_a-constitution-is-not-a-thing-in-name-on_440856.png) > ““A constitution is not a thing in name only, but in fact. It has not an ideal, but a real existence; and wherever it cannot be produced in a visible form, there is none. A constitution is a thing antecedent to a government, and a government is only the creature of a constitution. The constitution of a country is not the act of its government, but of the people constituting the government. It is the body of elements, to which you can refer, and quote article by article; and which contains the principles on which the government shall be established, the manner in which it shall be organized, the powers it shall have, the mode of elections, the duration of Parliaments, or by what other name such bodies may be called; the powers which the executive part of the government shall have; and in fine, everything that relates to the complete organisation of a civil government, and the principles which it shall act, and by which it shall be bound. A constitution, therefore, is to a government what the laws made afterwards by that government are to a court of judicature. The court of judicature does not make the laws, neither can it alter them; it only acts in conformity to the laws made: and the government is in like manner governed by the constitution.”” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A constitution is the foundational framework that defines and limits government power, embodying the people's will and guiding legal structures. **In simple terms:** A constitution sets rules for government. Key Takeaway Respect and uphold the constitution. Themes law governance people rights structure Mood serious instructive Type political educational When to use this quote - drafting a constitution - civic education - judicial review - policy making Key Concepts political theory social contract legal foundations Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do citizens have to uphold it? - How should a constitution adapt to change? A Different Perspective Interpretations can vary, causing conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitutional rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [A constitution, therefore, is to a government what the laws made afterwards by that government are to a court of judicature. The court of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-constitution-therefore-is-to-a-government-what-the-laws-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [A Constitution is not the act of a Government, but of a people constituting a government, and a government without a constitution is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-constitution-is-not-the-act-of-a-government-but-of-a-people/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [A constitution is not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government; and government without a constitution is power without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/a-constitution-is-not-the-act-of-a-government-but-of-a-people-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Even government by the consent of the governed, as in our own Constitution, must be limited in its power to act against its people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/even-government-by-the-consent-of-the-governed-as-in-our-own/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [I rise in support of the separation of powers as established by our Founding Fathers in the Constitution. The Constitution clearly delegates the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/i-rise-in-support-of-the-separation-of-powers-as-established-by-our/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [The Constitution is government's stop sign. It says, you - the three branches of government - can go so far and no farther.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/the-constitution-is-government-s-stop-sign-it-says-you-the-three/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [We, the People of this country, have no unalienable rights... all our rights are subject to modification... the Constitution of the United States of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/we-the-people-of-this-country-have-no-unalienable-rights-all-our/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [The laws are, and ought to be, relative to the constitution, and not the constitution to the laws. A constitution is the organization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-laws-are-and-ought-to-be-relative-to-the-constitution-and-not-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“And those rights are not to be lightly infringed upon by government in any way. They’re explicitly protected by the Constitution from the government.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/and-those-rights-are-not-to-be-lightly-infringed-upon-by-government/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [If we set out with... a scrupulous regard to the Constitution, the government will acquire a spirit and a tone productive of permanent blessings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/if-we-set-out-with-a-scrupulous-regard-to-the-constitution-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Basically, if you become president, you must swear to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and what the Constitution says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/basically-if-you-become-president-you-must-swear-to-preserve-protect/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [The importance of the Bible to a church is to keep the church on track. The role of the Constitution in government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-haggard/the-importance-of-the-bible-to-a-church-is-to-keep-the-church-on/) [Ted Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-haggard/) > [I believe in the Constitution. The Constitution says that government isn't supposed to be infusing religion into our society, and so I asked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-newdow/i-believe-in-the-constitution-the-constitution-says-that-government/) [Michael Newdow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-newdow/) > [The Constitution of this government was written by men who accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind. Let men and women in these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-constitution-of-this-government-was-written-by-men-who-accepted/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [Nadine Gordimer came over just before she died. She didn't want to talk about books or the arts, but about the abuse of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/nadine-gordimer-came-over-just-before-she-died-she-didn-t-want-to/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. 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Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More Constitution quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. 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