We were assigned to read and discuss this back in high school. I doubt that it is even mentioned in todays high schools.
I remember when I first read it that I was disappointed. It seemed to be mainly the rich carving out protections for themselves. In addition there was a lot of settling of scores (a number of people and their families were banned from holding any kind of office). However, I have since realized that it was the first baby step and for that reason, important.
“However, I have since realized that it was the first baby step and for that reason, important.”
There were many steps before and after, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assize_of_Clarendon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisions_of_Oxford
Things in effective governance proceed by degrees or they are unstable. The idiots who keep beating the Founding Fathers over the head over the slavery issue is an example.
Those fools seem unable to realize that the transition from subject to citizen was traumatic enough.
It took over 1000 yrs of political evolution and experimentation in England to result in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
That’s why it was equally idiotic to think a bunch of pastoral troglodytes in the Middle East could be brought screaming and kicking into a 21st Century Democracy overnight when they hadn’t taken any of the preliminary steps on their own.
We are very very fortunate and owe a lot to our English cultural and legal forebearers for what we currently enjoy - and are in danger of losing to Islamic chaos.