Chapter 1 - The Political Structures of the Great Powers

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Cards (85)

Define the term "international relations"
The way in which two or more nation interact with and regard one another
Describe politics in 1900
- Poor ethics
- Declining/crumbling empires, e.g. Zulu, Mughal, Ottoman
- Turbulent
- Communism, Socialism and Bolshevism - 1848 known as the "Year of Revolutions" - Fredrich Engels and Karl Marks publish communist manifesto
- Nationalism and liberalism - desire for suffrage and nationalist movements
What continuity is there in British politics between 1900 and now?
- Use of House of Lords and Commons
- First past the Post system
- Conservative and Liberal parties
- PM elected
What change has there been in British politics between 1900 and now?
In 1900, you had to be a man over 21 and a landowner over a certain value to be eligible to vote, but now, suffrage means that women and men of all classes over 18 can vote
What must a country have in order to be democratic?
- Political choice with multiple parties to choose from
- Freedom of choice
- The right to vote
- Every vote has a value
- Freedom of speech for the public, press and politicians
Why was politics in 1832 not an example of a democracy?
- Voting was a privilege for the wealthiest men over 21
- More MPs could be voted in to represent small rural boroughs than towns, so they were better represented
- Few men of politics supported suffrage
- Only people with "a stake in the country" should vote
- No voice for the ordinary person
Who were the two loosely democratic powers in 1890 Europe?
Britain and France
Why were these two powers deemed loosely democratic?
Neither state had universal suffrage but they stood apart from other Great Powers as their Heads of State had to work with Parliament
What was one impact of democracy? 
The ruling political parties could not ignore public opinion and stay in power - the public mood and the press could, and often did, influence policymaking
When was the Franco-Prussian war and the establishment of the French Third Republic?
1870-71
When was the accession of Kaiser Wilhelm II in Germany?
1888
When was the resignation of Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany?
1890
When was the accession of Tsar Nicholas II in Russia?
1894
What is meant by the term "universal suffrage"?
Extending the right to vote in elections to all adult men and women
What is meant by the term "democracy"? 
Political system in which people choose their own rulers; in modern states this is usually by electing representatives to sit in a National Assembly or Parliament
What is meant by the term "representative government"?
A government that is elected to serve the needs of its citizens
What was the state of political power in Britain in 1900?
They had a Parliament and a hereditary monarch with limited power
How did Walter Bagehot describe Queen Victoria's power in 1867?
"The Queen reigns but does not rule" - also distinguished between her formal powers (signing state documents) and her symbolic and ceremonial role (promoted illusion of greater power)
What were the three rights of the British monarch in relation to their governments? 
The right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn
Who had the active role in the day to day running of the country?
Parliament, led by the PM - governed the country. The monarch did not have an active role in this.
Why was Britain not a true democracy in 1900?
Suffrage was limited and the Head of State was not elected
What was the role of the Electorate?
Voted an MP to represent their local constituency; in 1900 was limited to wealthier males (around 5.5 million); general elections were mostly held every few years
What put Britain ahead of other powers in being called a democracy in 1900? 
The monarchy was limited in power and there was a strong system of representative government. The Rule of Law ensured that both monarchs and elected representatives had to operate within legal limits; there was also a free press which, though more deferential to authority figures than today, was allowed to criticise policies. At the turn of the century, newspapers were growing in circulation, which meant that politicians increasingly had to consider the options of a better informed public
What was the role of the House of Commons?
Comprised MPs elected by their local constituents
What was the role of the House of Lords?
Unelected; could veto or demand revisions to bills before they became law - had the power to amend or reject legislation passed by the House of Commons (though this was restricted in 1911 as a result of their rejection of the 1909 People's Budget) and could serve as Cabinet Ministers or PM; some owed their position to the monarch, though most were hereditary
What was the role of the Monarch (Head of State)? 
Unelected; rarely used power to veto bills before they became law; had the power to dismiss PMs - had the power to appoint new Lords on the advice of the PM
What was the role of the PM (Head of Government)? 
Usually chosen via general election as leader of the most popular political party; appointed by the monarch
What was the role of the Cabinet Ministers?
Responsible for day-to-day government of domestic and foreign affairs
What is meant by the term "veto"? 
The power to prevent a law being passed
What is meant by the term "foreign policy"?
A government's strategy in dealing with other nations
What is meant by the term "parliamentary bill"?
The draft version of an Act of Parliament, often revised before receiving approval
What was the impact of the 1789 French Revolution in Britain?
- Produced an increased interest in democracy
- Britain changed rapidly, parliament feared bloodshed
- Population increased quickly - agricultural and industrial boom underway
- People gained more food, better clothing and more access to goods, but were still suffering in slums and harsh factory life
- A higher chance of new political ideas spreading as more people lived in towns and cities
- Reformers argued that Parliament no longer represented the country
- The pressure for democracy increased in early 1800 and politicians favoured small measures of political reform over revolution
Describe the 1832 Reform Act 
- 1st significant change to political system
- Extension of franchise - more men could vote
- Differences in electoral system between regions removed, making it fairer
- The effects of the act were limited as still only a small percentage of men could vote and Southern England could elect more MPs than Northern England and Scotland
Describe the 1867 Parliamentary Reform Act 
- Introduced by Conservatives
- Increased electorate to 2.5 million
- Benjamin Disraeli (PM) gave working men the vote as he believed that supporting them would make them vote Conservative - this is referred to as the "leap in the dark"
- This didn't balance political power as middle classes were still dominant
Describe the 1872 Ballot Act
- Dealt with electoral corruption by allowing secret ballots
- Voting became more of a political act than a social occasion
- Hustings replaced with polling booths
- Most effective in large constituencies
Describe the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act 1883 
- Ballot Act did not remove bribery
- Established how much and on what electoral expenditure could be spent
- Allegations of illegal acts decreased, as did electoral expenditure
- However, corruption did not die out completely
Describe the 1884 Parliamentary Act 
- Recognised that county and borough voters deserved the same political rights
- As a result, a uniform franchise was produced
- Plural voting was still permitted in certain circumstances
- 2/3 men over 21 could now vote, but this was only 18% of the population, so it was still low
Describe the 1884 Representation of the People's Act 
- Meant that 5.5 million people could now vote
- They were all male and had to be a homeowner or pay £10+ in rent per year
- Voting was mainly dominated by middle and upper classes but some skilled workers could vote too
- Democracy was spreading but women and some men still couldn't vote, and the House of Lords wasn't elected
Describe the 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act
- Growing towns were given the right to send more MPs to Parliament
- 142 seats were redistributed - dominance of Southern England ended
- Scotland's representation increased to 72 seats
How did democracy in Britain develop after these acts?
- The Head of State (monarch) was still not elected
- Suffrage was still limited but there was now a form of representative government as people could elect representatives to Parliament
- Rule of law - everyone, including the government, had to obey the laws
- There was free press - newspapers criticised the government (increased circulation) and by 1900, literacy rates had increased (which increased amount of new publications)