Chapter 1 - The British political system Flashcards
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In what year was the Bill of Rights introduced?
1689
What type of government was Britain during the late 18th century?
Constitutional monarchy
What is patronage?
The ability to confer honours and rewards such as well-paid positions, pensions and knighthoods in order to get political support from the recipient
What is the divine right?
The belief that the king was chosen by God to rule the country
What is the civil list?
The annual sum agreed upon by parliament to be given to the royal family in order to support them
What is a consitutional monarchy?
A form of government in which the head of state is a hereditary monarch, but they must rule in unison with an elected parliament
What was the role of the cabinet during the late 18th century?
To offer advice to the king
What was King George III forced by parliament to do in 1782?
Replace his favoured Prime Minister Lord North with Lord Rockingham, whom he disliked
How many peers sat in the House of Lords in 1783?
Around 220
How many MPs were there in 1783?
558
What was an obstacle to lower-income people becoming MPs in the late 18th century?
The position had no salary
What annual income did a county member need in 1783?
£600
What annual income did a borough member need in 1783?
£300
What was the population (excluding Ireland) in 1801?
~9.4 million
How many people could vote in England and Wales in 1783?
250,000
What were the requirements for a man in a county seat to be part of the electorate?
They had to have freehold land with a minimum rateable value of 40 shillings per year
What was a potwalloper borough?
One in which ownership of a hearth large enough to boil a pot in gave you the right to vote
What was a freeman?
Someone who had been given the freedom of a city/borough. In some boroughs, only freemen could vote
What was a pocket borough?
One in which the landowner essentially chose the candidate for MP who would be elected, and forced or bribed the electorate to ensure that this would occur
What was a rotten borough?
One with barely any electors or population, but who still elected MPs
What are 2 examples of rotten boroughs
Old Sarum (7 voters, 2 MPs)
Dunwich (mostly collapsed into the sea, 32 voters elected 2 MPs)
What was the population of Scotland?
1.6 million
What was the Scottish electorate? (how many)
4500
How many Scottish MPs were there?
45
What determined the electorate in Preston?
Anyone who had stayed the night before could vote
What was a corporation borough?
One in which only the mayor and members of the corporation could vote
How was the British electoral system regarded by the rest of Europe?
As being very liberal and democratic (many countries in Europe at the time did not even have elections)
What did the 1716 Septennial Act do?
Ensured that elections were held every 7 years instead of every 3 as had previously been the case
What was ‘cooping’?
Keeping a voter drunk so he couldn’t vote for the opposition
What was the voting format in the late 18th century and why was this a problem?
Open, non-secret ballots; made intimidating someone into voting for your candidate much easier
Who were the main 2 political parties in the late 18th century?
The Whigs and Tories
Which party were dominant throughout the 18th century and why?
The Whigs, because they supported the Protestant King William of Orange during the Exclusion Crisis, whilst the Tories supported the Catholic Stuarts without success. This meant Protestant Whig families monopolised political power
What party did Pitt belong to?
He styled himself as an independent Whig, but was seen as the first Tory
