---
slug: "Constitution"
name: "Constitution"
type: "Governance"
layer: "Society"
ref: "Constitution#3deb"
sema_id: "sema:Constitution#mh:SHA-256:3deb8d31b8ace640b29c0a4d547191eebbcdedb46548f6c09711860be3af4645"
tags: ["Society","Governance"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Constitution/
related: ["Agent","Crystallize","DeliberativeAlign","Dissentkeep","RuleSet","Dissentkeep#dcb9"]
---

# Constitution

Ratified rule set, amendable only out of band

Layer: Society · Category: Governance

## Mechanism

A structured document defining the fundamental principles, immutable rights, and automated penalty rules for a group of [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md)s. It serves as the static input for oath binding.

## Invariants

- Automated penalty rules are machine-verifiable. Principles bind interpretation without being mechanically checkable, and are not held to the same test.
- Amendable only out of band: no runtime self-modification.
- Names the parties who ratified it.

## Failure modes

—

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "constitution_id",
    "version",
    "invariants",
    "ratified_by"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "constitution_id": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "version": {
      "type": "integer"
    },
    "invariants": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Immutable safety rules (cannot be voted away)"
    },
    "rights": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Guaranteed agent privileges"
    },
    "ratified_by": {
      "type": "array",
      "description": "Identities of the ratifying parties. Named in the intersection and previously absent."
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)

## Used by

- [Crystallize](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Crystallize.md) (Mind; References)
- [DeliberativeAlign](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/DeliberativeAlign.md) (Society; Accepts)
- [Dissentkeep](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Dissentkeep.md) (Society; References)
- [RuleSet](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/RuleSet.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Constitution#mh:SHA-256:3deb8d31b8ace640b29c0a4d547191eebbcdedb46548f6c09711860be3af4645`
- Ref: `Constitution#3deb`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Constitution#mh:SHA-256:863bf057265f5f954e50385d6fdb5f59d2f0619e7927cb6e45d281603725efe9`
  - `sema:Constitution#mh:SHA-256:f7493951346cb89fc465d4fcd93448a63c5fd9ac0d734ec28a5aeff4914f4f1b`
  - `sema:Constitution#mh:SHA-256:bc929fc4bb51ad66d6ceb04ed4ef23ae56e6abd86515f7d171b117c2f41a6aaf`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Constitution/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Constitution)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Constitution.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)