Democracy And Participation: How Suffrage Has Developed In Britain Since 1832

Question 1

Which act was the emergence of democracy in Britain?

Answer 1

The Great Reform Act 1832

Question 2

How did universal suffrage develop in Britain?

Answer 2

Via evolutionary rather than a revolutionary process

Question 3

How much of the population was allowed to vote in 1832?

Answer 3

2.7%

Question 4

What are the main Acts that extended universal suffrage in the UK?

Answer 4

The Great Reform Act 1832, Second Reform Act 1867, Third Reform Act 1884, Representation of the People Act 1918, Representation of the People Act 1928 and Representation of the People Act 1969

Question 5

What is the Great Reform Act 1832?

Answer 5

Passed by the Whig government of Lord Grey, where 1 in 5 adult males became available to vote, compromising of 5.6% of the population, giving the vote to working class men and abolished ‘rotten boroughs’ such as Old Sarum, which were constituencies that had almost no voters but elected 2 MPs

Question 6

What is the Second Reform Act 1867?

Answer 6

Passed by the Conservative of Disraeli, allowing many working-class men to vote, doubling the size of the electorate, roughly 1/3 of all men could now vote, though retained the difference between boroughs and counties

Question 7

What is the Third Reform Act 1884?

Answer 7

Passed by Gladstone’s Liberal government, it established a uniform franchise across the country for men, with all working men who met a property qualification could now vote, with around 40% of adult men still excluded, mainly working-class living in rural counties

Question 8

What is the Representation of the People Act 1918?

Answer 8

A product of the social and polticla changes caused by WW1, passed by David Lloyd George’s wartime coalition government, all men of 21 (or 19 for veterans) could vote and women over 30 who met property qualification could now vote

Question 9

What is the Representation of the People Act 1918?

Answer 9

A product of the social and polticla changes caused by WW1, passed by David Lloyd George’s wartime coalition government, all men of 21 (or 19 for veterans) could vote and women over 30 who met property qualification could now vote

Question 10

What is the Representation of the People Act 1928?

Answer 10

Passed by Baldwin’s Conservative government, women finally received the vote on equal terms to men, with all men and women over 21 now eligible to vote, with all property qualifications removed

Question 11

What is the Representation of the People Act 1969

Answer 11

Passed by Harold Wilson’s Labour government, with the voting age universally lowered to 18

Question 12

When was the secret ballot established?

Answer 12

In 1872

Question 13

When was direct bribery of voters banned?

Answer 13

In 1883

Question 14

When was the redrawing of constituency boundaries to make them more equal in terms of population?

Answer 14

In 1885

Question 15

With what act did the Chartists emerge as a pressure group?

Answer 15

Great Reform Act 1832

Question 16

What were the ‘Six Points of the People’s Charter’ that the Chartists demanded the adoption by parliament?

Answer 16

1) All men to have the vote irrespective of wealth or property ownership
2) voting should take place by secret ballot
3) Parliamentary elections every year, not once every 7 years
4) Equally sized constituencies
5) MPs should be paid
6) The property qualification for becoming a MP should be abolished

Question 17

What was the main tactic of the Chartists?

Answer 17

Compilation and submission to parliament of 3 minster petitions in 1839, 1842 and 1848 that contained up to 6 million signatures, though some were of dubious authenticity

Question 18

What other political movements did the Chartists inspire?

Answer 18

The Reform League

Question 19

What were the Chartists primarily concerned with ending?

Answer 19

The Aristocratic domination of politics by a small wealthy elite, believing they ruled for their own selfish interest

Question 20

Why were the wealthy elite alarmed at giving the vote to the working class for several reasons?

Answer 20

They believed working-class men were too poorly educated to use their vote wisely and understand political issues, they might use their power and seize the wealth of the rich and privileged and feared radical change might threaten Britain’s global wealth and expanding trading empire

Question 21

When did the women’s suffrage movement originated in the UK?

Answer 21

The 1860s

Question 22

What were the 2 main groups to emerge from the women’s suffrage movement?

Answer 22

The suffragists (National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies) firmed in 1897 from the merging of several suffrage groups and the suffragettes (Women’s Social and Political Union) formed in 1903 led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Sylvia and Christabel

Question 23

What was the difference between the suffragists and the suffragettes?

Answer 23

The suffragist focused on peaceful and constitutional methods that included meeting, handing out, leaflets, petitions, marches and lobbying, while the suffragists were more militant and prepared to break the law, which included chaining themselves to railing, heckling and disrupting public meetings and criminal damage/arosn

Question 24

How much support did the suffragists have in 1914?

Answer 24

100,000 members

Question 25

What act did the Suffragettes have made after they frequently went on hunger strike?

Answer 25

The Cat and Mouse Act

Question 26

When was the first person of colour to be elected as MP in the UK?

Answer 26

1987

Question 27

In 2019 how many MPs were from a minority ethnic group?

Answer 27

10%

Question 28

From a Electoral Commission report in November 2019 how many Black and how many Asian voters had to registered to vote in Great Britain?

Answer 28

Black: 25%
Asian: 24%

Question 29

What pressure groups focus on getting minority ethnic groups to vote?

Answer 29

Operation Black Vote