Nerdness Attack

[ideasinmotion]

Today my guy and I were watching an episode of 'The West Wing', about the fictional President Bartlett and the senior White House Staff, and Toby the Communications Director is standing next to his assistants desk and asks her for a copy of the Constitution. She said she didn't have one and he asked another girl. When she replied 'no' he yells

Comments

[dave_baker]

I have a copy of the Australian constitution. It's somewhat dull, because all it really does is lay out state and federal powers.

[ideasinmotion]

How is that any different from the U.S. Constitution?

[dave_baker]

The main difference is that it's not a full constitution- it doesn't mention the prime minister, it doesn't have a bill of rights, or any of the other things in the US constitution. All it does is lay out state-federal relations. The rest is covered by what is referred to as the 'unwritten constitution'- that is, practices that have evolved and are carried out but are not explicitly acknowledged by law.

[ideasinmotion]

Interesting. So what powers does a prime minister have that are unwritten?