1783-1812: The British political system Flashcards
(18 cards)
Define patronage
Buying political support — not seen as corrupt
Define divine right
Belief that the monarch was chosen by God
Define civil list
Money paid to King by Parliament
Define constitutional monarchy
King in Parliament (Parliament supreme)
Who was King between 1760 and 1820?
King George III
Describe the composition of parliament in 1783
Tories and Whigs — House of Commons (558 seats) and House of Lords (220 seats) — both aristocratic but HoL more so
How often were elections held in the 1780s?
Once every seven years
How many people had the vote in 1783?
250,000
What was the population of England, Scotland and Wales in 1801
10.5 million
What was the qualification to vote in the counties in 1783?
40 shilling freeholders
What was the qualification to vote in the boroughs in 1783?
No set qualification — boroughs set their own
What were rotten boroughs?
Boroughs with very few inhabitants
Give an example of a rotten borough
Dunwich
Why were electoral procedures corrupt?
Open ballot, bribery (until Secret Ballot Act 1872), no voting register, uncontested seats
Why was Britain viewed as democratic by many of its European neighbours?
1689 Bill of Rights — constitutional monarchy
What was the role of the Lord Lieutenant in the counties?
Key official in countryside — appointed by King
Appointed Justices of the Peace
What was the role of JPs in the counties
Magistrates, head of militia, administrators
What were the main differences between the Whigs and the Tories?
Whigs believed parliament was representative of the people, Tories upheld monarchy
