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===Façade constitutions===
Italian political theorist [[Giovanni Sartori]] noted the existence of national constitutions which are a [[façade]] for authoritarian sources of power. While such documents may express respect for [[human rights]] or establish an independent judiciary, they may be ignored when the government feels threatened or entirely dishonoured in practice. An extreme example was the [[Constitution of the Soviet Union]] that on paper supported [[freedom of assembly]] or [[freedom of speech]]; however, citizens who acted accordingly were summarily [[Political prisoner|imprisoned]]. The example demonstrates that the protections and benefits of a constitution are provided less through its written terms, but more through deference by government and society to its principles.
==Constitutional courts==
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