Paine argued balanced government of England functioned as one-sided monarchy

Evidence

To say that the constitution of England is a union of three powers, reciprocally checking each other, is farcical,” he contends. “As the same constitution which gives the Commons a power to check the king by with-holding the supplies, gives afterwards the King a power to check the Commons by empowering him to reject their other bills; it again supposes the King is wiser than those whom it has already supposed to be wiser than him. A mere absurdity!” — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 52

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s course themes on competing founding visions of government structure and checks against tyranny; Paine’s structural critique of mixed government anticipates Madison’s Federalist 10/51 defenses. — connects to: Paine delegitimized hereditary monarchy by exposing conqueror origins of royal lines — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 54; Eighteenth-century English parties’ shared aristocratic pact blunted genuine conflict — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 309

Broader Connections

• Paine delegitimized hereditary monarchy by exposing conqueror origins of royal lines #expands (0.85) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 54
• Eighteenth-century English parties’ shared aristocratic pact blunted genuine conflict #corroborates (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 309