Lesson 2: Magna Carta and Parliamentary System Overview

Social Contract

a agreement to cooperate to achieve a group benefit

Due Process

guarantee that legal procedure will be fair and correctly carried out according to the law

Common Law

a legal system that depends on established custom and previous rulings

King John I

Ruled from 1199 to 1216; Signer of the Magna Carta; started a war which angered his subjects; signed the Magna Carta which provided rights of the English people and then ignored it

Magna Carta

Created a social contract; Established a separation between the king and the church of England; Stated that a noble accused of a crime must be treated according to the law; Set limits on the king's authority to tax the nobles

U.S. Constitution

Social contract between the government and all people governed; Stated the government could not interfere with churches or religious belief; Defined a particular set of rights for anyone suspected of a crime including the right to a jury trial and due process; Specified limits on the government's ability to tax all citizens

Parliamentary System

The British Parliament was developed from the Magna Carta; The U.S. government is similar to the parliamentary democracies in that it has an executive branch, a bicameral, or two-house legislature

Executive

can be a hereditary monarchy or an elected official; Typically the leader of the lower house

Lower House

representatives elected by citizens

Prime Minister

head of the majority party in the lower house

Cabinet members

selected by the prime minister; aid in creating bills

Speaker of the LH

elected by members; presides over procedures and debates

Member of LH

elected official from the counties

LH Opp Party

the minority party selects their own leader also known as shadow leader and an opposition cabinet

Upper House (senate)

may be appointed to the positions of elected by the legislatures of counties

Speaker of UH

presiding officer over debate and procedure; may be the vice president or an elected member of the UH

Members of UH

may be appointed to the positions of elected by the legislatures of counties

UH Opp party

losing political party