The main, or central idea of the passage is The Magna Carta set the stage for democratic governments by affirming the rights of citizens to participate in government. How does the detail in bold develop the main idea? One of the most important years in the history of democracy was 1215, when King John of England signed a document called the Magna Carta. Among other things , the Magna Carta made it illegal to buy or bribe one's way out of legal trouble-previously a common practice. More important,the Magna Carta made it clear that the king of England could not change laws or impose taxes without the people's consent. Because of the Magna Carta, the barons of England, along with civic and church leaders began having regular meetings with the king to discuss matters such as proposed new taxes. The barons were meant to represent the interests of the people who lived on their land. This practice-revolutionary at the time-laid the groundwork for the modern political system known as representative democracy.Representative democracy allows elected officials to speak for the interests of their constituents, the citizens they represent. It illustrates the effect of the Magna Carta on English governance. It points out the numerous government problems before the Magna Carta. It highlights the contrast between the role of barons versus the role of civic and church leaders.