1787 (in force 1789) · Constitutions
Constitution of the United States
United States
The first written national constitution still in force. It sets up a federal government with three branches and divides power between the nation and the states.
Why it matters
It was the model for written constitutions, federal systems and judicial review in many countries.
Built on
Went on to shape
1791
United States Bill of Rights
United States
added to the Constitution as amendments
1814
Constitution of Norway
Norway
borrowed the idea of a written constitution and the separation of powers
1848
Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848
Switzerland
took the idea of two chambers and a federal division of powers
1900 (in force 1901)
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution
Australia
took the federal structure, the Senate and the idea of a court that checks the division of powers
1917
Constitution of Mexico
Mexico
kept the federal and presidential structure
1937
Constitution of Ireland
Ireland
adopted a written constitution with judicial review
1947
Constitution of Japan
Japan
drafted during the Allied occupation with strong American input
1949 (in force 1950)
Constitution of India
India
adopted a written constitution with judicial review and a federal structure
Counting texts that borrowed from the texts that borrowed from this one, 18 later texts on this timeline trace back to it.
Countries in the Legal Families Atlas
TheLawToKnow Tools’s timeline lists links of influence only where the borrowing is widely documented. Historians sometimes disagree about how much one text shaped another. It is an educational overview, not legal advice.
