The constitutions of the other monarchies of Europe were
made during the nineteenth century, and consequently they are younger
than that of the United States.
[Footnote 63: Compare the "Bill of Rights" in our Constitution; see pp.
256-260.]
In all the constitutional monarchies we find legislative bodies similar
to our Congress. In every case the lower house is elected by the
voters;[64] in England, the Austrian Empire, Italy, and Spain a number
of the members of the upper house hold their position by hereditary
right. In respect to legislation, therefore, the constitutional
monarchies are all more or less republican in principle; that is, they
all recognize the supreme authority of the people acting through their
representatives.
[Footnote 64: Property qualifications for suffrage are common in
European countries.]
An absolute monarchy is one in which the authority of the ruler is not
held in check by a constitution or by a body of men elected by the
people. No civilized country now has this form of government.
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