The Political Nation and the Monarch

• The Political Nation were those in early modern britain with social, economic and political influence
• Groups that formed the Poltical Nation:

  • Aristocracy
  • Lesser gentry whose status was based on land ownership
  • Newer groups - Lawyers and merchants whose wealth was based on income
• The head of the Political Nation was the monarch and they led it through their prerogatives
• Monarchs prerogatives:

  • Legislation
  • Foreign dipolmacy
  • Declaration of War
  • Religion
• The financial powers of the Political Nation involved them agreeing to give the monarch money so they become dependent on them