A
constituent assembly (sometimes also known as a
constitutional convention or
constitutional assembly) is a body or assembly of representatives composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a
constitution. As the fundamental document constituting a state, a constitution cannot normally be modified or amended by the state's normal
legislative procedures; instead a constituent assembly, the rules for which are normally laid down in the constitution, must be set up. A constituent assembly is usually set up for its specific purpose, which it carries out in a relatively short time, after which the assembly is dissolved. A constituent assembly is a form of
representative democracy.