How did the Elizabethan government work?

Question 1

What is patronage?

Answer 1

-rewarding of supporters with money, land, titles and offices->if they gave you some things you gave them something back

Question 2

What is Royal prerogative?

Answer 2

-no law would be passed without Elizabeth’s consent

Question 3

What did Royal prerogative give Elizabeth control?

Answer 3

-she could decide when parliament was about to be called, prorogued (suspended) or closed
-she could decide who became ministers in her Privy Council
-she could decide who attended Court
-she was the centre of all her decisions in the Privy Council
-she was responsible for the nature of religious worship in the country
-she could decide if and when England went to war

Question 4

What did Elizabeth believe she had a say in?

Answer 4

-finance
-religion
-marriage
-war

Question 5

What was the Privy Chamber?

Answer 5

-women attended to her and helped her dress (etc)->had a large say because they discussed things with Elizabeth
-they were usually the wives of men in her Court so had a lot of power and influence

Question 6

What is the Court?

Answer 6

-centre of government and source of all political power

Question 7

What are the main functions in Court?

Answer 7

-Presence Chamber
-Privy Chamber (household)

Question 8

What was the Presence Chamber?

Answer 8

-where Elizabeth might be

Question 9

What was the Privy Chamber’s access like?

Answer 9

-access was guarded

Question 10

What was the Court used for?

Answer 10

-the Monarch called leading subjects to council her to attribute in their quarrels and to employ/reward their services

Question 11

Who did the Court display power for?

Answer 11

-displayed power and magnification of the Monarch to impress foreign observers and reinforce obedience at home

Question 12

How frequent were the Court’s meetings?

Answer 12

-daily attendance upon the Monarch

Question 13

What was the sphere of influence in parliament?

Answer 13

-not the most important element of government
-controlled by the Queen by her power to imprison members, her use of the royal veto and delaying of Bills
-controlled by the Council who arranged the business of the House of Commons
-the Queen alone could summon or dismiss Parliament when she saw fit

Question 14

What was the composition of parliament like?

Answer 14

-462 men->2 knights from each country and 2 burgesses from each borough/town
-House of Commons->not democratically elected
-House of Lords->more important than HoC->members of the nobility

Question 15

What were the main functions in parliament?

Answer 15

-to pass laws
-to raise taxes

Question 16

What were the frequency of meetings in parliament?

Answer 16

-did not meet regularly and only for short periods
-only 13 sessions in her whole reign

Question 17

How many meetings in parliament did Elizabeth have in her whole reign?

Answer 17

-13

Question 18

What did local government have?

Answer 18

-Lord Lieutenant
-Justice of the Peace (JP)
-the Council of the North

Question 19

How many Lord Lieutenants were there for each county?

Answer 19

1

Question 20

Who were JPs (Justice of the Peace)?

Answer 20

-unpaid role
-60 for each county to maintain order

Question 21

What was the Council of the North?

Answer 21

-improve government control and economic prosperity to benefit all of Northern England->nervous of Scotland and the North is closer to them so they wanted more control in far away areas from Elizabeth