How Did The Magna Carta Influence Democracy Today

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The Magna Carta transformed English Parliament from 1215 on. It granted basic rights that were demanded by English noblemen. The document limited the king’s power, changing monarchy forever. The Magna Carta has greatly influenced democracy today. Many of the ideas were used to form the constitution. The Magna Carta has paved the way for democracy today by granting rights to citizens, limiting the power in government, and by laying a foundation for modern democracy.
The Magna Carta has given basic rights to all citizens. The Magna Carta established laws so that citizens could not have their rights taken away without a reason. The noblemen declared that “no freeman shall be seized or imprisoned or stripped of his rights.” In other words the noblemen wanted to ensure that they would not be thrown into jail without a good cause. This hereby allowed the citizens to feel safer. They were given a basic right that is still around today and is of great importance. Nowadays these rights aren’t just for noblemen and high ranking officials, they are for everyone. In, “Democracy” by Leonard Cohen, it’s mentioned that democracy is for …show more content…

One of the main reasons for the Magna Carta was to limit the power of the king. The noblemen wanted it to be clear that, “To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay the right or justice.” Today it is illegal to bribe officials or to deny someone the right of justice. This concept was adopted from the Magna Carta to ensure that everyone has the right to fair justice without illegal influences. When people felt their rights being violated they knew they had to bring it to the attention of the government. In, “Democracy” by Leonard Cohen he explains that in order to have democracy people must fight for it, saying, “the wars against disorder.” When people stand up for their rights, they are protecting them. By protecting their rights they prevent the government from restraining