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** anti-monarchical | ** anti-monarchical | ||
** stability and flexibility | ** stability and flexibility | ||
** susceptibility to populism, demagoguery and factionalism | ** susceptibility to populism, demagoguery and factionalism<br><br> | ||
<big>'''Natural Law'''</big> | <big>'''Natural Law'''</big> | ||
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<big>'''Private v public lives of Americans '''</big> | <big>'''Private v public lives of Americans '''</big> | ||
* individual | * democracy requires public life | ||
* | * yet, people maintain multiple public and private lives and identities: | ||
* religious | ** community (local) identity | ||
** economic or class identity | |||
** ethnic identity | |||
** group identify (or of multiple groups) | |||
** individual / family identify | |||
** national identity | |||
** political identity | |||
** religious identity <br><br> | |||
|| | || | ||
=== English civil law & rights === | === English civil law & rights === | ||
==== Monarchy & parliament ==== | |||
* monarchy is based upon the concept of '''divine rule''' | |||
** God selects the King for the people = (usually) the first born of the previous king or ruler | |||
* monarchy = the most common form of government across human history | |||
** due to its stability | |||
** divine rule resolves the problem of succession of power (transfer of power between leaders) | |||
*** = "the king is dead" (the father) "long live the king" (the son) | |||
** not always successful in peaceful transfer of power (factions, disputes, challenges, etc.) | |||
** divine rule implies that since God chose the ruler, God also chose the subjects | |||
*** monarchy also resolved problem of ruling heterogenous populations (different languages, regions, religions, ethnicities, etc.) | |||
==== Magna Carta ==== | ==== Magna Carta ==== | ||
* "Great Charter" of 1215 | |||
* English King John signed a royal charter (contract) limiting his powers & outlining certain rights and protections for local barons (rulers), including: | |||
** church rights, protection against illegal imprisonment, limiting ''feudal payments'' (required of local rulers to the central monarch) | |||
* significant statement of individual rights & protections and limited government | |||
* by limiting the power of the monarchy, it significantly challenged divine ruleand powers | |||
==== Bill of Rights, 1689 ==== | ==== Bill of Rights, 1689 ==== | ||
* enacted after Glorious Revolution under William and Mary | * enacted after Glorious Revolution under William and Mary | ||
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* affirms self-governance | * affirms self-governance | ||
* affirmed rule by consent of the governed | * affirmed rule by consent of the governed | ||
* anti-monarchy | * anti-monarchy/ divine rule: | ||
** "all men are created equal" = negates concept of divine rule | |||
* justifies revolution based on needs of citizens going unmet | * justifies revolution based on needs of citizens going unmet | ||