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Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:
History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.
At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.
Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.
Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.
Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)
Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?
  • a)
    The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history alone
  • b)
    The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional matters
  • c)
    Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains made
  • d)
    Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliament
  • e)
    Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislation
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
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Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:H...
History is replete with success stories that the Englishmen could have exploited; instead they threw away the advantage. This is the correct answer.
"But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind."
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Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. Which of the following is definitely not true in the context of the passage?

Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. The twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system were

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. The author alludes to something when he says 'our schoolmasters have accustomed us'. The allusion is to

Read the given passage and answer the question that follows.It is quite understandable that a recentSupreme Court judgment, that there is no fundamental right to claim reservation in promotions, has caused some political alarm. The received wisdom in affirmative action jurisprudence is that a series of Constitution amendments and judgments have created a sound legal framework for reservation in public employment, subject to the fulfilment of certain constitutional requirements. And that it has solidified into an entitlement for the backward classes, including the SCs and STs. However, the latest judgment is a reminder that affirmative action programmes allowed in the Constitution flow from “enabling provisions” and are not rights as such. This legal position is not new. Major judgments — these include those by Constitution Benches — note that Article 16(4), on reservation in posts, is enabling in nature. In other words, the state is not bound to provide reservations, but if it does so, it must be in favour of sections that are backward and inadequately represented in the services based on quantifiable data. Thus, the Court is not wrong in setting aside an Uttarakhand High Court order directing data collection on the adequacy or inadequacy of representation of SC/ST candidates in the State’s services. Its reasoning is that once there is a decision not to extend reservation — in this case, in promotions — to the section, the question whether its representation in the services is inadequate is irrelevant.The root of the current issue lies in the then Congress government’s decision to give up SC/ST quotas in promotions in Uttarakhand. The present BJP regime also shares responsibility as it argued in the Court that there is neither a basic right to reservations nor a duty by the State government to provide it. The idea thatreservationis not a right may be in consonance with the Constitution allowing it as an option, but a larger question looms: Is there no government obligation to continue with affirmative action if the social situation that keeps some sections backward and at the receiving end of discrimination persists? Reservation is no more seen by the Supreme Court as an exception to the equality rule; rather, it is a facet of equality. The terms “proportionate equality” and “substantive equality” have been used to show that the equality norm acquires completion only when the marginalised are given a legal leg-up. Some may even read into this an inescapable state obligation to extend reservation to those who need it, lest its absence render the entire system unequal. For instance, if no quotas are implemented and no study on backwardness and extent of representation is done, it may result in a perceptible imbalance in social representation in public services. Will the courts still say a direction cannot be given to gather data and provide quotas to those with inadequate representation?Q.Article 16(1) of the Constitution reads:“16 (1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.”Which of the following, if held by the Supreme Court in a future case, will weaken the Supreme Court’s position in the current case the most?

It is quite understandable that a recentSupreme Court judgment, that there is no fundamental right to claim reservation in promotions, has caused some political alarm. The received wisdom in affirmative action jurisprudence is that a series of Constitution amendments and judgments have created a sound legal framework for reservation in public employment, subject to the fulfilment of certain constitutional requirements. And that it has solidified into an entitlement for the backward classes, including the SCs and STs. However, the latest judgment is a reminder that affirmative action programmes allowed in the Constitution flow from “enabling provisions” and are not rights as such. This legal position is not new. Major judgments — these include those by Constitution Benches — note that Article 16(4), on reservation in posts, is enabling in nature. In other words, the state is not bound to provide reservations, but if it does so, it must be in favour of sections that are backward and inadequately represented in the services based on quantifiable data. Thus, the Court is not wrong in setting aside an Uttarakhand High Court order directing data collection on the adequacy or inadequacy of representation of SC/ST candidates in the State’s services. Its reasoning is that once there is a decision not to extend reservation — in this case, in promotions — to the section, the question whether its representation in the services is inadequate is irrelevant.The root of the current issue lies in the then Congress government’s decision to give up SC/ST quotas in promotions in Uttarakhand. The present BJP regime also shares responsibility as it argued in the Court that there is neither a basic right to reservations nor a duty by the State government to provide it. The idea thatreservationis not a right may be in consonance with the Constitution allowing it as an option, but a larger question looms: Is there no government obligation to continue with affirmative action if the social situation that keeps some sections backward and at the receiving end of discrimination persists? Reservation is no more seen by the Supreme Court as an exception to the equality rule; rather, it is a facet of equality. The terms “proportionate equality” and “substantive equality” have been used to show that the equality norm acquires completion only when the marginalised are given a legal leg-up. Some may even read into this an inescapable state obligation to extend reservation to those who need it, lest its absence render the entire system unequal. For instance, if no quotas are implemented and no study on backwardness and extent of representation is done, it may result in a perceptible imbalance in social representation in public services. Will the courts still say a direction cannot be given to gather data and provide quotas to those with inadequate representation?Q.Article 16(1) of the Constitution reads: “16. (1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.”Which of the following, if held by the Supreme Court in a future case, will weaken the Supreme Court’s position in the current case the most?

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Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
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Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? for CLAT 2025 is part of CLAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CLAT exam syllabus. Information about Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for CLAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for CLAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for CLAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Direction: Answer the given question based on the following passage:History of the British parliament should not be seen as history alone, but as a historical account of certain of its leading principles and features. It is an extraordinary story. It is certainly not the tale of steady constitutional advances to which our schoolmasters have accustomed us. Looking back on the long-drawn-out processes by which each advantage was won, we cannot but be struck, not only by the intense conservatism of Englishmen in constitutional matters, but by the apparent indifference to the value of the progress already achieved. It is understandable perhaps that contemporaries should not be able to see which way the road must lead and excusable that they should tread it with hesitation. But to refuse to exploit, and to neglect and even to throw away the advantage already gained, seems to be a folly of the worst kind.At the very moment when the Commons had secured for themselves the most fruitful of the principles of Magna Carta – the principle of consent to taxation – they minimised its power for constitutional progress by exercising it as rarely as possible. When they discovered the value of the right to petition and seemed well on the way to a monopoly of legislation, they surrendered the initiative to the Crown without a struggle. Their very privileges owed as much to the artful complaisance of a tyrant as to their own exertions.Even the aggressive political consciousness of the seventeenth century seems almost to have been ashamed of its exuberance and shrank from using the opportunities for reform which the ascendancy of parliament conferred. Such admirable proposals for electoral reform as those of 1647 and 1653 came to nothing and the anomalies of the system continued, or rather increased, for the best part of two centuries. Cromwell's brave experiment of the 'Other House' was received without enthusiasm, and the constitution of the House of Lords still awaits reform.Later centuries showed hardly more sense of the future. The principles of ministerial responsibility and party government, those twin pillars of the modern parliamentary system, were abhorred by most respectable statesmen of the eighteenth century. The tradition of the Speaker's neutrality, of which British parliamentarians are justly proud, is hardly a century old and owes more to the outstanding character of one or two holders of the office than to any general recognition of its necessity. It would seem indeed as if the Commons had made progress in spite of themselves.Certainly constitutional conservatism has its compensations. As Lord Action said, 'the one thing that saved England from the fate of other countries was not her insular position, nor the independent spirit, nor the magnanimity of her people…but only the consistent, uninventive, stupid fidelity' to the political system. We have had a civil war without a prescription and a revolution without bloodshed. We have had our share of demagogues, but no one has succeeded in establishing a tyranny. For all this we may be justly thankful and take a share of the credit. Nevertheless, when we look back over the story, we cannot but recognise how much more we owe to our good fortune than to our own exertions. (History of British Parliament by Harold Laski)Q. What, according to the author, is a 'folly of the worst kind'?a)The plea that history of British parliament should not be taken as history aloneb)The intense conservatism of the Englishmen in the constitutional mattersc)Englishmen's apparent unwillingness to take advantage of gains maded)Failure to learn from history to improve the responsiveness of parliamente)Failure to press forward the benefits of Magna Carta in the matters of legislationCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice CLAT tests.
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