Constitutionalism Constitutionalism: the limitation of government by law, balance of power between the authority and power of government, and the rights and liberties of the subjects, has an written or unwritten constitution. Unlike absolutism, constitutionalism has power resides in the electorate and is exercised by the electorate’s representatives, whose power resides solely in the monarch’s hands. Many of the causes of the war, in fact most of them, were brought on by Charles I, and his need for money. Charles tried to govern without a Parliament. This technique is known as divine government. He had total jurisdiction over the liberties, persons and properties of Eng