1.2 A wider franchise and debates over suffrage. Flashcards
What was the Anglo-Saxon witan?
An assembly of aristocrats who advised the king on important matters
Why is the Magna Carta significant for democracy?
It established key legal principles like fair trials and protection from unfair treatment by the king.
What did the Magna Carta state about trials?
No one can be put on trial without credible witnesses.
Why did the English Civil War (1642-1651) occur?
King Charles I believed in the divine right of kings and ruled without Parliament’s approval, leading to conflict.
Who were the Levellers?
A political group during the English Civil War that advocated for equal voting rights for all men.
What did the Bill of Rights (1689) achieve?
It limited the monarchy’s power and strengthened Parliament’s authority.
What was the Great Reform Act of 1832?
An act that allowed some middle-class men to vote, beginning a process of democratic expansion.
What does ‘franchise’ or ‘suffrage’ mean?
The right to vote in public elections.
What was Chartism?
A working-class movement in the 1830s-40s demanding voting rights for all men.
Why did Chartism fail?
The government suppressed protests, but later reforms gradually expanded voting rights.
Who were the Suffragists?
A group led by Millicent Fawcett that campaigned peacefully for women’s voting rights.
Who were the Suffragettes?
A militant group led by Emmeline Pankhurst that used direct action to fight for women’s suffrage.
Why was the Representation of the People Act (1918) passed?
Women’s contributions to World War I helped change political attitudes towards suffrage.
What did the Representation of the People Act (1928) achieve?
It granted universal suffrage to all adults aged 21 and over.
What violent actions did the Suffragettes use to advance their cause?
They burned letterboxes, vandalized property, and assaulted anti-suffrage politicians to gain publicity.
How did the public and government respond to Suffragette violence?
Many viewed them as extremists or even terrorists, and Prime Minister Herbert Asquith refused to give in to their tactics, fearing it would encourage more violence.
What alternative argument suggests the Suffragettes’ violence was not the main reason women got the vote?
Some historians argue that women’s war work during World War I was more significant in proving they were responsible enough to vote.
What key change did the Representation of the People Act 1969 introduce?
It lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Why was lowering the voting age to 18 considered uncontroversial?
Young people had new responsibilities, such as university education, greater earning power, and increased sexual freedom due to easier access to contraception.
How did the UK align with international trends by lowering the voting age?
Other countries had already lowered the voting age, and the UK followed the global movement toward expanding democratic participation.
What is the Votes at 16 Coalition, and when was it founded?
It was founded in 2003 to bring together groups like the National Union of Students and the British Youth Council to campaign for lowering the voting age.
Where have 16- and 17-year-olds already been allowed to vote?
They could vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and can now vote in Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections.
Which political parties support lowering the voting age to 16?
Labour and the Liberal Democrats support it, while the Conservative Party opposes it.
