Over and Obove topics The Magna Carta changed the way monarchs ruled in two ways. First, it limited the monarch'sarbitrary power. Most of the clauses dealt specifically with King John and his abuses of power over the nobility. Under the Magna Carta the king could not be above the law; he was subject to it. If the king wanted to impose extra taxes, beyond customary taxes, he would have to get approval from the kingdom about it first. The Magna Carta also said that all free men can get a fair trial with a jury of their peers. In addition, the Magna Carta gave nobles some say in the government. Over the course of fifty years, this grew into the idea of parliament. Parliament is a group of advisers to the English king. The other way the Magna Carta affected the monarchs rule was by making them more powerful. The Magna Carta made the monarchs more powerful by giving the nobles some input in the government. This made the kingdom more as one. The monarchs then ruled over all of ...