Rigid constitution
Topic: Amendment of the Constitution and the Basic Structure · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 9 "Constitution as a Living Document"
Meaning
A rigid constitution can be changed only through a special procedure that is harder than making an ordinary law. This usually means a special majority (a bigger majority than usual), the consent of the states, or a vote by the people. The aim is to keep the basic rules safe from a small or short-lived majority.
Example
The US Constitution is rigid. Under US Art. V, an amendment must first be proposed by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress, or by a convention called by two-thirds of the states. Then three-fourths of the states must ratify (approve) it. This is why the USA has made only 27 amendments in over 200 years.
Don't confuse with
- Flexible constitution: it can be amended by the ordinary law-making process, as in Britain.
- India's Constitution: it is neither fully rigid nor fully flexible. Some parts change by simple majority, most need a special majority, and federal parts also need ratification by half the states.