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acts were only valid if countersigned by a minister, who then became politically responsible for the act in question. The political regime was liberal but not democratic; elections were held with a limited franchise; voters, all men, were divided into four colleges based on their wealth and social origins.
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Citizens' rights and freedoms were of the most modern vintage: enshrined in the document were the freedom of conscience, of the press, of assembly, of religion; equality before the law, regardless of class; individual liberty; inviolability of the home. Capital punishment was abolished in peacetime,
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Legislative power was exercised by the Prince and
Parliament (composed of an Assembly of Deputies and a Senate). Following the Belgian model, executive power was entrusted to the Prince, but he was not responsible for exercising it. Rather, the Prince exercised his powers through the ministers; his
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countries. He had the right to grant political amnesty, to pardon criminals or reduce their sentences, to confer military ranks and decorations, and coin money. At the same time, he opened and closed sessions of
Parliament, which he could convoke in emergency session and which he could dissolve.
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women and their descendants." The Prince's person was proclaimed "inviolable." He was the head of the army, named and dismissed ministers, sanctioned and promulgated laws, named and confirmed men to all public functions, and signed treaties and conventions on commerce and navigation with foreign
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In 1879, under
Western pressure, article 7 was ostensibly diluted but in fact it remained nearly impossible for Jews to gain citizenship. In 1881, the constitution was amended to proclaim Romania a kingdom, and the word "prince" was replaced by the word "king." In 1884, the number of electoral
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Under the constitution, the Prince/King appointed the prime minister, who then organized elections. The government was this well positioned to ensure it won a majority. This resulted in a situation where
Parliament reflected the will of the government, not vice versa as is the case in a true
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College I (comprising 55% of the senators) was elected by 1% of the voters, who had incomes of at least 2000 lei or were high-level functionaries or held advanced degrees and had a certain number of professional
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College III (comprising 21% of the deputies) was elected directly by 4% of the voters, literate rural property owners who had incomes between 300 and 1200 lei, as well as teachers and priests
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colleges was reduced to three, thus expanding the franchise. In 1917, the
Constitution underwent two major modifications in order to fulfill promised made to the soldiers then fighting
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College II (comprising 45% of the senators) was elected by another 1% of the voters, who had incomes of at between 800 and 2000 lei or held advanced degrees or were professionals.
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was accorded superior status ("the dominant religion of the
Romanian state"), while article 7 provided that non-Christians could not become citizens (which chiefly affected
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College II (comprising 38% of the deputies) was elected directly by 3.5% of the voters, city dwellers and professionals paying an annual tax of at least 20 lei
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College I (comprising 41% of the deputies) was elected directly by 1.5% of the voters, property owners who had incomes of at least 1200 lei
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in the
College III, also voted indirectly the rest of 91% of the voters, through delegates who represented 50 voters.
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The Senate gave even more power to the large property owners, while 98% of the voters were not represented at all:
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and adopted by the
Constituent Assembly. The newly installed Prince then promulgated it on 13 July [
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The
European Jews, Patriotism and the Liberal State 1789-1939: A Study of Literature and Social Psychology
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Although every adult male could vote, the value of their vote was strongly tilted towards the wealthiest.
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As of 1909, the
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1 July] 1866. This was done without input from the major powers, including the
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could be carried out. It remained in effect until it was replaced by the
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127:. The throne was a hereditary office of the male descendants of Carol, "
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The Great Rumanian Peasant Revolt of 1907: Origins of a Modern Jacquerie
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was the fundamental law that capped a period of nation-building in the
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while property was considered sacred and inviolable. The
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Center of Constitutional Law and Political Institutions
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129:perpetually excluding
45:1 July] 1866
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121:separation of powers
362:2012-04-02 at the
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295:(2014).
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