fcs- britain transformed Flashcards
First Past the Post (FPTP)
The name of the UK voting system
Used to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons
Constituencies
The UK is currently divided into 650 areas of constituencies
The candidate who receives the most votes in the area is the first past the post and gets a seat in parliament
Majority Government
If a party wins over half the seats in an election (currently 325), they can form a minority government
Passing Laws in a Majority Government
Having a majority of politicians in parliament makes it easier to pass laws they want
The bigger the majority, the easier it is to pass laws
Coalition
If no party wins a majority, the biggest party may instead form a coalition
They team up with another party to gain a majority, but must find ways to work together
Coalitions- National Government
During times of crisis e.g. World War II, parties form a National Coalition made up of multiple parties to govern the country together
Minority Government
Sometimes when no party wins a majority, the biggest party decides to govern with a minority
They govern with a minority of politicians, and instead rely on other MPs to vote for their laws because they like them
Weak government
It is very difficult to govern effectively or for long with a minority government
Inflation
The general level of prices is going up
More money is needed to pay for goods (e.g. bread) and services (e.g. a haircut)
Economy
A small amount of inflation can be a good thing - it shows a country’s economy is growing
Too much is a bad thing as people lose trust in the value of money or strike for more pay
Unemployment Level
The amount of people actively seeking work who cannot find any
High unemployment levels signals a failing economy
Unemployment Level- Relevant Context
Britain saw high unemployment during the Great Depression - 2.5m by 1931
After WW2, all main political parties committed to achieving full employment
Currency
The British currency is the pound or sterling
Governments want to ensure their economy is doing well so people buy and trade with their currency
Currency Decline
Throughout our course, the pound will decline in value.
Governments were forced to de-value it: this made it worth less against other currencies like the dollar, but meant people who buy cheaper British goods
Trade Union
An organisation made up of workers from a certain industry or business (e.g. teachers may join a Teacher’s Trade Union)
They fight for workers’ rights and pay
Trade Union- Course Context
Trade unions typically are closely linked with the Labour Party, which was set up to represent the working class
Strike
A refusal to work organised by a trade union as a form of protest, typically to gain better pay or working conditions
Strikes- Economy
Strikes are damaging to an economy. Working days are lost and important products are not produced and services not provided
Striking was widespread in Britain in the late 1960s and 1970s and drastically weakened the power of government
WW1s loss of export markets
40% of Britain’s merchant shipping goods were sunk by German u-boats and other countries began to take British export markets
Proportion of Britain’s wealth from exports fell from ⅓ in 1914 to ⅕ in 1918
WW1s Loss of life
750,000 British men died in WW1
WW1s War Debt
Britain built up a war debt of £3.25 billion
