# Constitution A constitution is the highest level of the law in a government. A constitution defines the powers, rights, and obligations of the state and of the citizens. Constitutions define government structures and entities and their powers and processes for making and enforcing laws. Both sovereign governments and governments that are part of federations can have their own constitutions. Jurisdictions within a federation cannot have a constitution that contravenes the principles of the federation, but each jurisdiction can establish their own unique local constitution as long as it adheres to the federal constitution. #### How is the concept of a constitution relevant to the Network State? The Network State is a new model, but that does not mean it can’t use old ideas if they are good, and having a clear structure and meta rules about how to make rules along with clear rights for citizens is a good idea. Network States will almost surely have constitutions, or something that functions in the same way by another name. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://gitbook.jur.io/wiki-network-state/dictionary/constitution.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.