KK> The article I mentioned above wasn't really talking about political
 KK> systems as intellectual inventions, but rather it was talking about the
 KK> underlying political culture of various peoples -- something we aren't
 KK> even consciously aware of.  The Scandinavian peoples were a holy terror
 KK> 1000 years ago, but they haven't given the world much trouble lately.
 KK> The article suggested that our parliamentary system is unconsciously
 KK> based on an underlying culture in which people would select a
 KK> representative, and the reps would get together and haggle things out,
 KK> and everybody would work together to implement the decision.
   I had a graduate course in English Constitutional History and it does
appear that the zest of Charlemagne for attempting to insure justice for the
local folks and the Anglo Saxon local governance through shire reeves
(sheriffs) and a body of reeves representing the people were given structure
by William and Conqueror and his descendants with the extension of the 
King's
Justice" the gradual diminution of reliance on Church courts, and the
development of Parliament through the various Magna Cartas (yes, there WERE
several) in the 13th century) formed the distinctive background for the
"Petition of Right" under James II (VI of Scotland) and the corruct term IS
"Right" not "Rights" because it was the right to petition for redress of
greivances that has been fundamental.  Even the Grand Jury (which bears 
ittle
resemblance to ours today) was the formation in each local area of "twelve
good men and true who would say on oath what crimes had been committed since
the last visit of the Justices on eyre (traveling judges appointed by the
kind).  
Sincerely, 
                                     Frank
                                                                              
                                                       
--- PPoint 2.05
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