1.2 Widening The Franchise And Debates Over Suffrage

Question 1

What is suffrage?

Answer 1

The ability to vote in public elections

Question 2

What is electorate?

Answer 2

The body of people that are entitled to vote

Question 3

What is a constituency?

Answer 3

An area represented by an MP

Question 4

Who is entitled to vote in the UK?

Answer 4

• People over the age of 18
• Citizens of the UK, RoI and Commonwealth
• UK nationals that have lived abroad for less than 15 years

Question 5

Who is ineligible to vote?

Answer 5

• Under 18’s
• EU citizens (can still vote in local elections)
• Prisoners
• Members of the House of Lords
• Those convicted of corrupt or illegal electorate practice (they are barred for 5 years)
• Those in psychiatric care

Question 6

What were the two types of constituency?

Answer 6

County/Boroughs

Question 7

How was voting in the counties restricted?

Answer 7

Restricted to freehold property owners

Question 8

Why was there a problem with constituency boundaries?

Answer 8

• They had remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and had not kept up with population change at all.
• Some votes were far more equal than others.

Question 9

What was the problem with plural voting?

Answer 9

Wealthy men with properties in multiple locations to have multiple votes

Question 10

What was the Act that improved election fairness?

Answer 10

The Great Reform Act 1832

Question 11

What did the Great Reform Act 1832 seek to do?

Answer 11

• Redistribute constituency seats more in line with population
• Enfranchise smaller property holders and tenant farmers in counties
• Created a standard £10 property qualification for borough voters

Question 12

How many people were allowed to vote after the Great Reform Act 1832?

Answer 12

5%

Question 13

What happened in 1867?

Answer 13

• Borough householders (tradesmen, shopkeepers etc.) enfranchised
• 13% of adult population allowed to vote

Question 14

What was the Great Reform Act of 1832?

Answer 14

• Abolished ‘rotten boroughs’ which had either no elections or few electors and were controlled by a single powerful patron
• The Act enfranchised almost all male middle-class property
• Increased the electorate by about two thirds (still, fewer than 6% of the population could vote)

Question 15

Define Compulsory Voting

Answer 15

If something is compulsory, you must do it or accept it because it the law or because someone in a position of authority says you must

Question 16

Arguments in favour if compulsory voting

Answer 16

• Increased participation: 66% in turn out for 2015 UK general elections, 35% for 2014 EU elections; Australia - went from 60% to 80% with compulsory voting
• Increased legitimacy
• Increased political awareness: Greater sense of civic duty - more engagement in society; more education in politics; population more aware of political issues
• Stronger social justice: Governments have to be more responsive - take notice of the concerns of all groups in society; In 2015 election, turnout for over 65’s was 78%. For 18-24 year olds, it was 43%

Question 17

Arguments against compulsory voting

Answer 17

• Participation rates can be high without compulsory voting and a violation of individual freedom
• Not truly democratic value in legitimacy resulting from compulsory voting
• Problems of ill-informed participation
• Favour larger political parties but could also benefit extremist parties

Question 18

What is franchise?

Answer 18

The ability to engage in politics and vote in elections

Question 19

What would extending the franchise mean?

Answer 19

Increase the number of people who can vote in elections

Question 20

Describe the past issues with the franchise

Answer 20

In the 1800s only 400,000 could vote and there was mass inequality, women could not vote and some wealthy individuals could vote multiple times whilst working men couldn’t at all.
. Very unrepresentative: ‘Rotten’ boroughs had an MP but very few people to represent whilst large developing cities had 0 representation

Question 21

Who were the suffragists?

Answer 21

People who tried to achieve the vote by means of peaceful methods, with the aim being to get bills passed in Parliament

Question 22

Who were the suffragettes?

Answer 22

People who campaigned for a women’s vote. Different to Suffragists as the Suffragettes used more militant and direct methods to draw attention such as setting fire to buildings

Question 23

What were the differences between the Suffragettes and Suffragists in campaigning for women’s suffrage?

Answer 23

• Suffragettes used direct and militant action whereas Suffragists used peaceful actions side by side with politicians
• Suffragettes set fire to buildings and even tried to attack politicians whilst Suffragists Lobbied politicians