For years we presuppose that a written constitution and an institution of judicial review are not only the foundations of democracy but also a prerequisite for the protection of civil rights. Up to now, few nations, including authoritarian and even totalitarian nations, exist without a written constitution and an institution of judicial review. However, according to the empirical data, based on 156 nations, the relationship between judicial review and protection of civil rights is hardly tenable. The key factor in the safeguarding of civil rights is not the institution of judicial review, but the degree of democratization, embodied in an elective legislature to limit government powers. The main purpose of judicial review is to resolve the conflict between the federal and state government in order to maintain the federalism.