<P> A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed . These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is . When these principles are written down into a single document or set of legal documents, those documents may be said to embody a written constitution; if they are written down in a single comprehensive document, it is said to embody a codified constitution . Some constitutions (such as the constitution of the United Kingdom) are uncodified, but written in numerous fundamental Acts of a legislature, court cases or treaties . </P> <P> Constitutions concern different levels of organizations, from sovereign states to companies and unincorporated associations . A treaty which establishes an international organization is also its constitution, in that it would define how that organization is constituted . Within states, a constitution defines the principles upon which the state is based, the procedure in which laws are made and by whom . Some constitutions, especially codified constitutions, also act as limiters of state power, by establishing lines which a state's rulers cannot cross, such as fundamental rights . </P>

What is the basic purpose of the constitution