Which statement about the Magna Carta is most accurate?

• A. It declared independence.
• B. It established the first parliament.
• C. Limited the king's power and influenced constitutional rights.
• D. It created the United Nations.

Answer: (C)

The main idea this question tests is that the Magna Carta limited the king’s power and laid groundwork for constitutional rights. It was not a move toward independence, but a constraint on royal authority, insisting that the ruler govern according to law and respect legal procedures. By requiring that taxes and other extraordinary measures be justified and that certain rights and processes be observed, the Magna Carta signaled that even a king is subject to the law and that people had recognizable legal protections. Over time, these ideas helped shape concepts of due process, the rule of law, and limits on royal power that influenced constitutional developments long after the charter.

It did not declare independence, nor did it create the first Parliament or the United Nations. Parliaments would evolve over time and the United Nations is a modern institution established centuries later.