The Bill of Rights of 1689 established which constitutional principle?

• A. Limited monarchy and independent Parliament
• B. Divine right of kings
• C. Universal suffrage
• D. Absolute monarchy

Answer: (A)

This question centers on how the Bill of Rights of 1689 shaped government power. It established that the monarchy would be limited by law and that Parliament would hold the real authority in making and enforcing laws. The bill explicitly restricted the king’s prerogatives: the king could not suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain a standing army without the consent of Parliament, and Parliament must be called regularly. These provisions promote a constitutional framework in which the ruler governs with, and within, the consent of elected representatives, cementing the idea that power rests with Parliament rather than the crown.

Divine right of kings is the belief that monarchs rule by God’s will, which this act rejects by placing real authority in Parliament. Universal suffrage was not established by this document; voting rights remained limited to those meeting property and other early-modern qualifications, not universal. Absolute monarchy would mean the king has unrestrained power, which is exactly what the Bill of Rights curbs.