Keeping With The Franchise Flashcards
Voting and the general area around that
What were the names of the two types of Constituency pre-1832?
Counties and Boroughs.
What allowed you to vote in a County and a Borough (two separate questions)
COUNTIES - if you owned more than 40 shillings of property. However, multiple properties mean multiple votes. BOROUGHS - if you owned property and reliably paid tax. However, population changes were ignored leading to the creation of rotten boroughs.
Explain in detail what a Rotten Borough is, with an example
A Rotten Borough is a constituency with next to no voters but it still has an mp. For example the borough of Old Sarum had 3 houses and 7 voters.
What did the GREAT REFORM ACT 1832 do? Give 3 facts
Abolished 57 rotten boroughs. Created seats in urban areas like Manchester. Allowed votes for tenant farmers and small property owners. Any man in a Borough owning £10 worth of property could now vote.
By 1918 who could vote, and what percentage of the total population was that?
Tradesmen, Shopkeepers, Farm Workers, Miners, All men over 21 and all women over thirty (although that was later reduced). This made up 75% of the UK population at that time.
Give 5 things that stop people being allowed to vote
Being under 18. Being a member of the royal family. Being imprisoned. Being a non-British citizen. Being a member of the House of Lords. Not being registered as a voter. Being sectioned under the mental health act.
Explain the following terms : Enfranchisement, Disenfranchised, Franchise.
ENFRANCHISEMENT - to be added to the pool of potential voters. DISENFRANCHISED - removed from being able to vote. FRANCHISE - the total pool of voters.
Give 5 facts about Compulsory Voting including a country that does it
Australia, began 1924, the fine for not voting is £12, people only have to “make a mark” so they can spoil the ballots if they want, had a 94% turnout last election.
Give 3 arguments for Compulsory Voting
Voting is a duty not a right. Parliament would be more representative. You would have to appeal to the whole country. Not forced to vote you can still spoil your paper.
Give 2 arguments against Compulsory Voting
It wouldn’t stop a focus on appealing to large portions of society. It doesn’t deal with the real reasons people don’t vote. You shouldn’t be forced to vote in a true democracy.
What is a pressure group? And how do they affect democracy?
Groups that apply pressure (duh!) to the government in between elections. They are an excellent way for people to influence the government and take part in democracy outside of elections.What is a pressure group? And how do they affect democracy?
