The Political System Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is protected trade?
Protected trade is when a government imposes a tax on imported goods to support home production.
What is free trade?
The economic policy that promotes a free exchange of goods between nations.
Who was Sir Robert Peel?
A conservative minister who introduced free trade
What did the Corn laws do?
The Corn laws protected landowners and farmers from competition from cheap foreign corn coming into Britain.
What was a disadvantage of the Corn laws?
In 1845 , potato blight caused a famine in Ireland. Peel felt morally obliged to repeal the corn laws to alleviate Irish suffering. However he faced major opposition from his party and Peel resigned in December 1845. This caused the Conservative party to split into two. Those who left the party and joined him were called peelites.
What is a representative government?
A democratic form of government which politicians are chosen in a free election to represent a particular group of people.
Franchise
The right to vote which was generally based on a property qualification.
What is a constitutional monarchy?
When the monarch is head of state but leaves the decision of making and passing laws to Parliament and could not impose his or her will.
Define constitution
The basic principles and laws of a nation
When was the Parliamentary reform act and what did it entail?
1832 and it meant that the franchise was extended to middle class men.
What House of Parliament had more dominance and why?
The House of Commons has more dominance over the House of Lords because the prime minister was the leader of the party which held the most seats in the House of Commons.
What is a constituency?
A district represented by a member of Parliament
What divided groups of people into class?
Their status and economic influence
Who made up the upper class?
Aristocracy and landowning gentry
Who made up the middle class?
Merchants, manufacturers, professionals, service providers, shopkeepers etc
Who made up the working class?
Those who laboured their hands to make a living eg factory operatives, miners
What was the population size of these three classes?
Upper= 1.2% Middle= 20.1 % Working= 79.1%
What type of property did the upper and middle classes own and how was this an advantage?
Land. This maintained their economic superiority and allowed the perpetuation of a land based political system which they were able to control.
What are land politics?
Land politics determine who controls what land for how long and for what purposes.
What was the population of the middle class in the 1850’s ?
Between a fifth and a quarter of the population
What are the characteristics of the middle class?
- An annual income of £100 was the cut off between middle and working class.
- They laboured with their minds rather than their hands.
- Those who could afford the keep a domestic servant?
What was the population of the working classes?
Four fifths of the population
Define homogeneity
A comparability or a uniformity
Why do historians refer to the working class as the working classes?
Because there was a lack of homogeneity
