Power System of the English House of Commons

Timeline

1. c. 1340–1370Palace of Westminster · EnglandParliament formally divided into the House of Lords (upper house) and House of Commons (lower house); the Commons consisted of two knights per county and members from chartered towns, deliberating in a separate chamber from the Lords. Though elections were limited by property qualifications, a representative channel for local communities to present grievances to the center was established.
2. c. 1376–1400England · EnglandHolding to the principle of 'no taxation without representation,' the Commons controlled authorization for special taxes and customs duties, becoming an indispensable partner of royal finance. From 1390 conflicts between Richard II and Parliament intensified: the 'Wonderful Parliament' of 1386 impeached ministers, the 'Merciless Parliament' of 1388 purged courtiers, and in 1397 the king retaliatorily dissolved Parliament—showing that the Commons' power system had formed institutional tension with the crown.
3. 1399–1500Westminster · EnglandHenry IV deposed Richard II through Parliament, establishing the precedent that Parliament could intervene in succession to the throne. The procedure by which Commons petitions, with royal assent, became formal Statutes grew increasingly mature, shifting the legislative function from passive petitioning to actively shaping the kingdom's legal order.
4. c. 1600Westminster · EnglandAfter the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution, the Commons' dominance in finance, legislation, and cabinet accountability was further consolidated, evolving from a medieval representative body into the core of the modern democratic parliamentary system, with its logic of power traceable to the consent and representation principles formed in the 14th century.