The Magna Carta of 1215 is best associated with which principle?

• A. Divine Right of Kings
• B. Supremacy of Law
• C. Rule by Decree
• D. Absolute Monarchy

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is that government power should be limited and bound by law, not exercised at the ruler’s whim. The Magna Carta of 1215 forced King John to accept constraints on his authority and to govern through established legal procedures. It established that the king’s actions, such as taxation or imprisonment, had to follow lawful processes and that certain rights—like due process and judgment by peers—must accompany coercive power. This represents an early concrete step toward the rule of law: rulers are not above the law, and even the crown is constrained by legal norms.

This contrasts with divine right claims, which argue that kings rule by God’s will; with rule by decree, which implies ruling solely by orders issued at the ruler’s discretion; and with absolute monarchy, where the monarch wields unchecked power. The Magna Carta’s lasting influence lies in embedding the principle that lawful limits exist on royal authority, a foundation that later developments in constitutional law would expand.