The democratic principle often associated with the Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is the idea of the rule of law and the protection of individual rights against arbitrary authority. This seminal document established the precedent that even the monarch was subject to the law, asserting that citizens had established rights that must be respected. The Magna Carta laid the groundwork for future constitutional governance and the development of democratic ideals, influencing subsequent documents like the English Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, which further enshrined the concepts of liberty and justice.