The history of the Constitution of Chile dates from 1811. There were 10 constitutional texts and a draft for a federal organization in 1826. Its common elements are the unitary form of state and presidentialism as a form of government.
In this time, statutes pursued guaranteeing the autonomy of the Captaincy General of Chile before the Spanish Crown, and later gaining full independence and consolidating an institutional system. The first texts were only provisional decrees and later became more established normatives.
After the victory over Royalist forces, the Bernardo O'Higgins rule was created:
After O'Higgins resignation, there was a time of "political learning" that produced many constitutional texts that failed to take hold due to successive political crises.
After the end of the institutional crisis, Chile began to consolidate its political institutions, while living different influences throughout its history (conservatism, liberalism, populism, etc.).
In this period, texts are qualified as "authentic" constitutions in the sense that define the fundamental rights, establish the relationship between state and citizens, set and regulate the functions of branches of government and their authorities; mechanisms of law creation and constitutional reform. All texts define Chile as a unitary state, the president is both head of state and government, with a bicameral congress and independent judiciary.
