The word "prerogative" is especially often used when it comes, for example, about politics, about the powers of high officials. But what does this term mean, and how did it come about?
The history of the emergence of the term "prerogative"
The word "prerogative" originated in the time of ancient Rome in the era of the ancient Roman king Servius Tullius, in the 6th century BC. The king issued a decree according to which all full-fledged Roman citizens, depending on their wealth and position in society, were divided into certain property classes.
Each of these classes was obliged, if necessary, to exhibit a certain number of armed warriors, united in units called "centurias". Therefore, any Roman citizen, upon reaching the age of majority, was assigned to one of the centuries of his class.
Voting on important issues affecting state affairs also took place on the lists of these centuries. Certain upper-class centurias were given the right to propose new laws by King Servius Tullius. Such centuries began to bear the honorary title of "prerogative".
Over time, this right began to be considered an anachronism, and in the era of the Empire it was finally forgotten.
What did the term "prerogative" mean later?
In the Middle Ages, the term "prerogative" began to be understood as the right that was vested in a monarch or other highest official in the state. Only such a person could convene or dissolve parliament, approve any legislative act, pardon a convicted criminal, declare war or order the start of peace negotiations, etc. That is, even in those countries where the power of parliament was strong (for example, in England), the head of state had very large rights. Although he did not always use them to the fullest, depending on the circumstances.
That is, in medieval Europe, the term "prerogative" meant the preemptive right of the bearer of supreme power.
Since about the middle of the 19th century, the meaning of the word "prerogative" has expanded significantly. Now it meant any pre-emptive right, regardless of who and on what basis it belonged. This right could apply to both a private and a legal entity, as well as to a state or a union of states. This sense of the term "prerogative" has survived to this day.
We can say that the term "prerogative" denotes an exclusive right that belongs to any official body, such as the parliament, the State Duma.