立憲

• Reading: りっけん
• Romaji: rikken
• Kanji breakdown: 立 (ritsu/ta) — stand, establish; 憲 (ken) — constitution, law, norm
• Pronunciation: /ɾik.keɴ/

Meaning

Constitutionalism; constitutional government. The principle that governmental authority is derived from, defined by, and limited by a formal constitution.

Appears most often in compounds: 立憲主義 (rikkenshugi, constitutionalism), 立憲君主制 (rikken kunshusei, constitutional monarchy), 立憲民主党 (Rikken Minshutō, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan — the main opposition party). In contemporary politics, 立憲主義の危機 (crisis of constitutionalism) is invoked when constitutional norms are perceived to be eroded by executive overreach.

Examples

1. 立憲主義の観点から、行政が司法の判断に干渉することは許されないと憲法学者たちは主張する。 Constitutional scholars argue that from the standpoint of constitutionalism, the executive branch must not interfere with judicial decisions.
2. 明治憲法の制定によって日本は立憲君主国家としての体裁を整えたが、天皇大権の強さが課題として残った。 With the enactment of the Meiji Constitution, Japan took on the form of a constitutional monarchy, though the strength of the emperor's sovereign authority remained an issue.
3. 立憲民主党は政権交代に向けた野党連携の中心的役割を担っている。 The Constitutional Democratic Party plays a central role in opposition party coordination aimed at achieving a change in government.

Usage Guide

Context: constitutional law, politics, history, party politics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Formed from 立 (ritsu/ta, to establish) and 憲 (ken, constitution/law). The compound entered Japanese political vocabulary in the Meiji era as Japan grappled with Western constitutional models and the question of what kind of government to establish.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Contemporary

Generation: Adults

Social background: General