The development of British democracy Flashcards
What type of Democracy is the UK?
A parliamentary democracy
Who is the head of state in the UK?
The Monarch
What is democracy?
A system of government
where the whole adult population gets a say
In a democracy, what are the 2 forms in which the adult population can get a say on how the nation is governed?
Direct voting
Voting for representatives who make decisions on their behalf
Who was eligible to vote in Britain at the turn of the 19th Century?
Men
Over 21
Who owned a certain amount of property
In Democracy, what is the “franchise”?
The number of people
who have the right to vote
What did the Chartists campaign for?
- Every man to have the vote
- Elections every year
- All regions to be equal in the electoral system
- Secret ballots
- Any man to be able to stand as MP
- MPs to be paid
When were the Chartists campaigning?
1830s / 1840s
Was the Chartist campaign seen as successful?
No
Seen as a failure
By when were most of the Chartist reforms adopted?
20th Century
1918
When were women first allowed to vote in the UK?
20th Century
1918
In 1918 the Representation of the People Act was passed
which allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote.
How old did women need to be in 1918 Britain to be allowed to vote?
30
What year were British women allowed to vote from the age of 21 (same as men) instead of 30?
20th Century
1928
What year was the voting age for men and women changed from 21 to 18?
20th Century
1969
What important change to our voting rights took place in 1969?
The voting age
was reduced to 18
for men and women
