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Aristocracy (from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (aristokratíā) 'rule of the best'; from ἄριστος (áristos) 'best' and κράτος (krátos) 'power, strength') is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats.
Majority rule or parliamentary sovereignty vs. bill of rights or arbitrary rules with separation of powers and supermajority rules to prevent tyranny of the majority and protect minority rights; Rule according to higher law (unwritten ethical principles) vs. written constitutionalism; Separation of church and state or free church vs. state religion
The aristocracy [1] is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. [2] In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Rome, or India, aristocratic status came from belonging to a military class. It has also ...
Freiherr, a German word meaning literally "Free Master" or "Free Lord" (i.e. not subdued to feudal chores or drudgery), is the German equivalent of the English term "Baron", with the important difference that unlike the British Baron, he is not a "Peer of the Realm" (member of the high aristocracy). [35] The female equivalent is Freifrau.
Membership in the nobility, including rights and responsibilities, is typically hereditary and patrilineal. Membership in the nobility has historically been granted by a monarch or government, and acquisition of sufficient power, wealth, ownerships, or royal favour has occasionally enabled commoners to ascend into the nobility.
Magna Carta Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, one of four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text Created 1215 ; 810 years ago (1215) Location Two at the British Library ; one each in Lincoln Castle and in Salisbury Cathedral Author(s) John, King of England His barons Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury Purpose Peace treaty Full text Magna Carta at Wikisource Part of the Politics series ...
A commoner, also known as the common man, commoners, the common people or the masses, was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither royalty, nobility, nor any part of the aristocracy.
The natural aristocracy is a concept developed by Thomas Jefferson in 1813 which describes a political elite that derives its power from talent and virtue (or merit). He distinguishes this from traditional aristocracies, which he refers to as the artificial aristocracy, a ruling elite that derives its power solely from inherited status, or wealth and birth.