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The crucial advance was not just in understanding that laws should govern a population, but that they should also govern government itself. And not only that, but that this would take hold in a population to the point where they would put everything at risk to fight for it.

Hence, the US Constitution specifically enumerates the powers (rights) of government, and leaves the rights of the people unlimited.

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Your crucial advance began with the Magna Carta.

The history of England is basically the story of how the Government of England became increasingly limited by the laws of England. (At least that was a central theme of David Hume's wildly popular 18th century "History of England".) And yeah, many people in England gave their lives fighting to progress that goal around the same time that the Americans declared independence.

Absolutely. This tradition is one of the greatest legacies that ties together the Anglo-sphere.

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