Lesson Six:How did representative government begin in ENgland?

We The People

Lesson Six: How did Representative Government begin in England?

Terms to Know:

Balance of Power-the division of governmental powers in such a way that no one individual or group can dominate or control the exercise of power by others

Burgess-formerly a member of the British House of Commons (a merchant o craftsman) who represented a city or town

English Bill of Rights-an act passed by Parliament in 1689 which limited the power of the monarch. This document established Parliament as the most powerful branch of the English government

Glorious Revolution-English Parliament’s successful, bloodless overthrow of James II, establishing Parliamentary supremacy and independence from monarchy

House of Lords-represents the nobility in British Parliament

House of Commons-represents the people in British Parliament

Jurist-a peer who determines guilt of one who has or has not committed a crime

Parliament-The British legislature, which consists of two houses: House of Lords and House of Commons

Parliamentary Supremacy-the principle that the parliament, or legislative body, has ultimate sovereignty, or control of the state

Petition of Right-(1628)-a formal acknowledgement that limited the English monarch’s power to tax people without the consent of the parliament and which also guaranteed English subjects certain fundamental rights

Realm-the land in a kingdom

Revolution Settlement-followed the Glorious Revolution, and ended up having King William and Queen Mary take over England after signing the Declaration of Rights

Writ of Habeus Corpus- orders the government to deliver a person it has arrested to a court of law and explain why that person has been arrested and held

Question & Answer

1. How would you describe the evolution of parliamentary government in England?

· In the feudal system, English kings relied on councils to advise them on the tasks of governing. This turned into the parliament. In the fourteenth century, this body of former leading nobles and clergy took on more defined shape with a two-part legislature, a House of Lords and a House of Commons. Parliament came to be a representative institution because the kings of England felt that this body was an effective way to raise money from subjects. This eventually led to the Parliament becoming powerful enough to challenge the king in the seventeenth century and produced the Petition of Right. This document guaranteed the rights of Englishmen. Later, in 1688, the English Bill of Rights proclaimed that the parliament was the dominant power of government. Basically, the power of Parliament has increased in direct correlation with the rights of Englishmen over time as the power of the monarchy has decreased.
2. Among the key events in the struggle for power between the Crown and the Parliament were the Petition of Right (1628), The Habeus Corpus Act (1678), and the Glorious Revolution (1688). Describe how each of these contributed to the development of constitutional government in England.

· The Petition of Right strengthened the notion that English subjects enjoyed certain fundamental rights that could not be violated. The Habeus Corpus Act guaranteed that if the government could not show proof that the arrested person had broken the law, then that person must be set free. The Glorious Revolution produced the English Bill of Rights, which limited the power of the monarch by placing dominant power in the hands of the Parliament, establishing trial by jury, prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment, giving the right to petition government, and giving the right to bear arms. As stated in earlier lessons, a constitutional government is one on which there are limitations placed on those that are governing as well as a way to follow through if the governing body infringes on their limitations. All of the above mentioned documents, place limitations on government, while giving more rights to the governed.

3. How does the English Bill of Rights differ from the U.S. Bill of Rights?

· The English Bill of Rights does not provide for freedom of speech or press. The English Bill of Rights was made by Parliament and could be changed by Parliament where as the U.S. Bill of Rights was ratified by the people and could only be changed with their consent through the mending process laid out by the Constitution. Also, the English Bill of Rights was intended to limit the power of the monarch and increase the power of the Parliament whereas the U.S. Bill of Rights intended to prohibit the federal government from violating individual rights of all people and protect the rights of minorities.