Chapter 20 - Government and democracy Flashcards by Magda Reichenbach

When did Gladstone become Liberal leader?

1866

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When was Gladstone PM?

1868-74
1880-85

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When was Disraeli PM?

1874-80

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When did Disraeli become Commons leader of the Conservatives?

1866

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Who was Gladstone’s political hero?

Peel

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What party did Gladstone originally belong to?

The Tories

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What faction of the Liberal Party did Gladstone belong to when it formed?

The Peelites

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What was Gladstone’s catchphrase?

‘Peace, Retrenchment and Reform’

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What were Gladstone’s personal principles based on?

Religion and his admiration for Peel

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What did the ‘Peace’ part of Gladstone’s policy entail?

He thought maintaining peace with foreign nations would allow trade and industry to develop unhindered, as well as meaning taxation could be more easily controlled

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What was Gladstone’s view on income tax?

He wanted to abolish it

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How was taxation viewed by the Liberals?

As depriving people of the freedom to spend money as they wished

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What did ‘retrenchment’ mean?

Reduction of government spending

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What did the ‘reform’ part of Gladstone’s policy entail?

Bringing about changes in laws and institutions which interfered with personal freedoms

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What 3 doctrines were key to Gladstonian Liberalism?

Self-help
Laissez-faire
Free Trade

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What parts of Gladstone’s support had been alienated by his policies of 1868-74 and why?

The middle class industrialists and merchants, who were alarmed at what they saw as Gladstone’s wooing of the working classes

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Who brought Disraeli to power in 1874?

The artisan class, as well as disaffected middle-class Liberal voters

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What political reform came in 1869?

Women ratepayers were allowed to vote in local elections

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What was the 1870 Forster’s Education Act and why was it important?

Made provision for elementary schools to be set up across the country
Gave provision for girls to attend school

Important as represented a step away from laissez-faire in social legislation, as well as setting precedent for role of state in education of children

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Why was it important to have better provision for education by the time of Gladstone’s first ministry?

Help make Britain’s workforce more internationally competitive, would help bring a more articulate electorate in line with the 1867 extension of the franchise

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What did the 1870 Married Women’s Property Act do?

Gave married women legal status and allowed women to keep a proportion of their own earnings

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What did the 1870 Civil Service Act do?

Introduced the principle of entry by competitive examination, and gave bright young men from ordinary backgrounds the chance of a steady career

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What advantage did Gladstone’s administrative reforms in the army, civil service and judiciary have?

Brought greater efficiency across these areas

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Who supported the 1870 Civil Service Act?

Many middle-class Liberals

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What did Caldwell's 1871 Army reforms do?

Abolished the system of purchase of commissions

Who did Gladstone's administrative reforms annoy?

Traditional Whigs

What did the 1873 Judicature Act do?

Introduce administrative reforms into the judiciary system, similar those which had previously occurred in the civil service under his leadership

What position did Edward Caldwell hold in 1871?

Secretary for War

What did the Trade Union Act of 1871 do?

Established the legal right of unions to hold property and funds and have them protected by law

What did the 1871 Criminal Law Amendment Act do?

Made any form of picketing illegal, and essentially banned action which the now-legal trade unions took to implement their objectives

Who did the 1871 Criminal Law Amendment Act annoy?

The working-class supporters (especially artisans) of the Liberals

What did the 1872 Licensing Act do?

Gave magistrates the power to issue licenses to publicans that would fix opening and closing hours, so nothing too drastic

Who did the 1872 Licensing Act annoy and why?

Both sides- temperance groups thought it didn't go far enough, whilst brewers and distillers thought it attacked their industry

What ramifications did the 1872 Licensing Act have beyond Gladstone's first ministry?

Caused brewers and distillers to vote Conservative and give to Conservative party funds in future

What was the basic principle of Disraeli's 'Tory Democracy'?

Maintaining Conservative support of established institutions such as the Anglican Church and the Monarchy, whilst supporting some degree of political reform

When did Disraeli first appear to support a policy of Tory social reform?

At a speech to the National Union at Crystal Palace in 1872

What changes did Disraeli make to the Tory party whilst out of office from 1868-74?

Improved its organisation

Who helped bring the Conservatives to power in 1874?

The artisan classes, although the electorate as a whole were sick of Gladstone's endless reform

What did the 1875 Artisans' Dwellings Act do?

Gave the local authority the power to purchase, clear then redevelop slums

What 2 things seriously weakened the 1875 Artisans' Dwellings Act?

The lack of a compulsory purchase order, and the fact that many city councils chose to ignore it

What was the long term importance of the 1875 Artisans' Dwellings Act?

Established the principle of state intervention with regards to private dwellings, marked the beginning of local authority housing

Who opposed the 1875 Public Health Act?

Supporters of laissez-faire

What did the 1875 Public Health Act do?

- Pulled together all existing sanitary legislation - Laid down minimum standards of drainage, sewage disposal and refuse - Appointed a Medical Officer of Health

What did the 1875 Employers and Workmen Act do?

Introduced a contract of service which gave employees terms that were on par with those of employers

What did the 1874 and 1878 Factory Acts do?

- Consolidated previous Factory Acts - Set code of regulations for conditions in factories - Brought all industries in line with standards of textile industry - Reduced hours for women and young people (which in turn reduced men's working hours indirectly)

What group did Disraeli's reforms benefit most?

The emerging working classes

What helped the working classes have their voices heard more often by the 1870s?

The growing influence of trade unions, and the improved provision of education

What does it mean that much of Gladstone and Disraeli's legislation was permissive rather than compulsory?

That it facilitated change rather than insisting upon it

What was the population of Britain by 1850?

Around 21 million

How large was the electorate by 1850?

Under 1 million

What made some redistribution of seats vital by the second half of the 19th century?

The rapid increase in population and continuing urbanisation

What did the 1866 Reform Bill propose?

A relaxation of the voting qualification to give skilled workers and smallholders the vote

Who threw out the proposed 1866 Reform Bill?

A group within the Liberal Party, who claimed that reform would give the vote to the 'ignorant'

What 2 things happened when the proposed 1866 Reform Bill was rejected?

The Liberal government resigned, and the Reform League held demonstrations across the country

What did the 1867 Reform Act do?

Increased the number of voters from 1.2 to 2.5 million (roughly 1/3 of the adult male population) and implemented some limited seat redistribution

Who were still excluded from voting after the 1867 Reform Act?

Women, unskilled workers, agricultural workers

Who were the main group to gain the vote via the 1867 Reform Act?

Skilled workers

Why was Lancaster disenfranchised after 1867?

It had spent £14,000 to bribe its 1400 voters in a general election

When was the Secret Ballot Act introduced?

1872

What did the 1883 Corrupt Practices Act do?

Closed legal loopholes which had allowed corruption to continue unchecked, such as by setting a specific limit for candidates' election expenses, and introducing stiff penalties for lawbreakers

What did the 1884 3rd Reform Act do?

Removed the property qualification for voting, established a uniform franchise for boroughs and counties

What was the size of the electorate before and after the 1884 3rd Reform Act?

3 million before, 6 million after

What 2 significant groups were enfranchised by the 3rd Reform Act?

Miners and agricultural workers

What was the population by 1884?

35 million

What proportion of men were enfranchised by 1884?

2/3

What did the 1885 Redistribution Act do?

Brought to an end the disparity between urban and rural areas in terms of representation