In 243 articles grouped in 13 Chapters preceded by a preamble, the Constitution regulates the system of government which it calls the common good of all its citizens. It is a democratic State ruled by law, implementing the principles of social justice.

In the Republic of Poland, the supreme power is vested in the Nation, which - as it is underlined in the preamble - in 1989 recovered the possibility of a sovereign and democratic determination of the fate of its Homeland. The preamble also provides that the Constitution is established by the Polish Nation - "all citizens of the Republic, both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources, equal in rights and obligations towards the common good - Poland". The preamble stresses the special importance of the struggle for independence, culture rooted in the Christian heritage of the Nation, as well as the need to cooperate with all countries for the good of the Human Family. The main task of the Constitution is guaranteeing the rights of the citizens and ensuring diligence and efficiency in the work of public bodies. "Respect to the inherent dignity of the person, his right to freedom and the obligation of solidarity with others" constitute the unshakeable foundation of the Republic of Poland.

The system of government is based on the separation of and balance between the powers. Legislative power is vested in the Sejm and the Senate, executive power - in the President and the Council of Ministers, and the judicial power - in courts and tribunals. The balance of powers consists in the fact that the Constitution does not grant any of the above with supremacy over the others by creating numerous mechanisms of mutual influence. For example, although it is the Parliament who creates statutes, the appraisal of their conformity to the Constitution belongs to the Constitutional Tribunal. The government may not exist without the support of the Sejm, but the term of office of the Sejm which is unable to grant support to the Parliament by at least a simple majority vote is shortened by the President. The government performs executive power but is subject to the different forms of control exercised by the Sejm; the Council of Ministers and its particular members are politically accountable to the Sejm. Furthermore, for the infringement the Constitution or statute the President may be held accountable before the Tribunal of State on the basis of a resolution of both Chambers of the Parliament forming the National Assembly.

The Constitution contains a very broad catalogue of rights and freedoms of citizens which can be divided into freedoms and rights of a personal, political, economical, social and cultural nature. The State ensures the freedom for the creation and functioning of political parties which are founded on the principle of voluntariness and equality in order to influence the formulation of the policy of the State by democratic means. The Constitution forbids parties and political organisations whose programmes are based on totalitarian methods, racial and national hatred, assume the application of violence or provide for the secrecy of their own structure or membership.

The constitutional basis of the territorial system of the State is the decentralisation of power which is directly connected to the principle of subsidiarity strengthening the rights of citizens and their communities. The basic principle of the economic system is the social market economy, based on freedom of economic activity, private ownership and solidarity, dialogue and co-operation between social partners.

The institutions and principles enshrined in the Constitution reflect the aspiration to guarantee human rights and freedoms. The basic law recognises the inherent and inalienable dignity of a person as the source of freedoms and rights and obliges public authorities to respect and protect this inviolable dignity. The catalogue of freedoms and rights is detailed and comprehensive and reflects concepts which have found their expression in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Pacts on Human Rights. The authors of the Constitution placed special stress on articulating the special meaning of the principle of equality before the law by granting the right of equal treatment by public authorities to all people. The Republic of Poland is a State which "ensures the legal protection of the life of every human being", as well as personal inviolability and personal liberty, the right to free trial and the presumption of innocence of a charge until one's guilt is determined by the final judgment of a court, freedom of faith and religion, the right to privacy, the right to freely express one's views, a free press and other public media, the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of association (including labour unions which have the right to strike), the right to access to public service on the same principles. Among the social, economic and cultural freedoms and rights the Constitution confirms the right to ownership, the freedom to chose and pursue an occupation, the public authorities' obligation to pursue policies aiming at full employment, the right to social security, the right to health protection, and the right to education. The Constitution states that the State policy shall take into account the good of the family.

The Constitution is the supreme law in the Republic of Poland.