Skip to content

On the role of the legislature:

Queen Elizabeth I lived in a world that was very different from the one in which we live today. She was an absolute monarch—a leader who inherited her position and did not need the approval of Parliament, her legislature, to carry out her will. At times, Parliament tried to pressure Elizabeth to take certain actions, but she always made sure that her decisions were ultimately made independently. In fact, she often criticized Parliament for attempting to overstep its rightful powers. She wrote to the members of the legislature in 1592:

“You are not called together to make new laws or lose good hours in idle speeches but to vote a supply to enable me to defend my realm. . . .”

Many modern-day Americans might argue that President George W. Bush feels the same way about Congress that Elizabeth felt about Parliament—preferring that the legislators focus their efforts on approving military expenditures rather than trying to influence policy.

One Comment

  1. kyla wrote:

    this does not tell me much u should update it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 12:06 pm | Permalink

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *
*
*