A Hundred Years of Misunderstanding (?): Magna Carta and Power of the Purse

Abstract

Magna Carta Libertatum was interpreted by social scientists firstly as the initial step forward transition to representative democracy; secondly, within the context of limiting the taxation authority of the king, it was considered, by public finance theorists, especially in developing countries such as Turkey, as the first document regarding the principle of "no taxation without representation" as a reflection of the power of the purse. On the other hand; in many studies until 1960s; it has been put forward that, what were limited by the Carta were not taxes, that the limiting body was "not representative", and that taxes in England have always been based on the consent factor since the 10th century (therefore, the Carta did not introduce a new practice for taxation). Furthermore, in open sources it is stated that, a word denoting tax [task or taske(n)] was used during the signation period of Carta. Surprisingly, this word does not appear anywhere in the Carta. Unfortunately, or deliberately, these studies were totally ignored in studies written after 1960s in public finance and budgeting fields of the literature in developed and developing countries. In conclusion; it is a debatable pre-assumption that Carta is the first document which limits the taxation authority, and it is an unproven assumption that it is the first written document on the power of the purse.