Governance Constraint
An active rule that is evaluated and enforced at the moment of action — distinct from a policy (a document) or a guideline (a suggestion).
A governance constraint is an explicit boundary that is structurally enforced. Unlike a policy (which is written down and hoped to be followed) or a guideline (which is suggested but optional), a constraint is checked automatically at the moment of action.
Constraints can be simple ("no production deployment without approval") or complex ("spending authority up to $50K for department heads, escalating above that"). They can apply to humans, AI agents, or both.
The key distinction is enforcement. A policy says "you should not do X." A constraint means "you cannot do X — the system will prevent it." This is not merely semantic: it changes the governance model from behavioural (relying on people to follow rules) to structural (the infrastructure enforces the rules).
Constraints are versioned: when they change, the old version is preserved with a timestamp and reason for change. This creates an auditable history of how governance has evolved.
How Constellation handles this
In Constellation, constraints live in the Charter layer. They are active (evaluated in real time), versioned (changes are tracked), and scoped (they can apply to specific agents, roles, or the entire institution).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a governance constraint and a policy?
A policy is a document that describes desired behaviour. A governance constraint is an active rule that is structurally enforced at the moment of action. Policies rely on humans to follow them; constraints are checked automatically.