Understanding British Democracy
Democracy is a system of government where everyone in the adult population has a voice. This means that people can either vote directly on issues or choose representatives to make decisions for them.
Early 19th Century Britain
At the beginning of the 19th century, Britain was not a democracy as we know it today. Although there were elections to choose Members of Parliament (MPs), only a small number of people could vote. Specifically, only men over 21 years old who owned property could vote.
Growth of the Franchise
The right to vote, known as the franchise, expanded throughout the 19th century. Political parties began to include everyday men and women as members.
The Chartists
In the 1830s and 1840s, a group called the Chartists campaigned for changes to the voting system. They wanted:
- Every man to have the right to vote
- Elections to be held every year
- Equal representation from all regions in the electoral system
- Secret ballots so that people could vote privately
- Any man to be allowed to stand as an MP
- MPs to be paid for their work
At that time, many people thought the Chartist campaign was a failure. However, by 1918, most of their ideas had been adopted.
Expanding Voting Rights
- In 1918, women over 30 were granted the right to vote.
- In 1928, the voting rights were extended to all men and women over 21.
- By 1969, the voting age was lowered to 18 for everyone.
Questions for Understanding
Easy Level Questions
- What is democracy?
- A) A type of food
- B) A system of government
- C) A sport
- D) A kind of music
- Who could vote in early 19th century Britain?
- A) All adults
- B) Women only
- C) Men over 21 with property
- D) Children
- What did the Chartists want?
- A) More holidays
- B) Changes to the voting system
- C) Lower taxes
- D) More sports teams
- What is a franchise?
- A) A food brand
- B) The right to vote
- C) A type of government
- D) A type of election
- Who were the Chartists?
- A) A group of singers
- B) A group campaigning for voting rights
- C) A type of politician
- D) A group of teachers
- When were women over 30 allowed to vote?
- A) 1914
- B) 1918
- C) 1928
- D) 1939
- What is a secret ballot?
- A) A public vote
- B) A private vote
- C) A vote with no choices
- D) A vote for a king
- What did MPs stand for?
- A) Members of Parliament
- B) Members of the Public
- C) Major Political Parties
- D) Media and Publicity
- When did the voting age get lowered to 18?
- A) 1950
- B) 1969
- C) 1970
- D) 1980
- How often did the Chartists want elections?
- A) Every month
- B) Every year
- C) Every two years
- D) Every five years
Medium Level Questions
- What was one main demand of the Chartists?
- A) More taxes
- B) Free education
- C) Annual elections
- D) War against other countries
- Which group primarily fought for voting rights in the 1830s and 1840s?
- A) The Suffragettes
- B) The Chartists
- C) The Whigs
- D) The Tories
- What was a key change made in 1918?
- A) Voting age lowered to 18
- B) Women over 30 allowed to vote
- C) All men given the vote
- D) Voting became mandatory
- What did it mean to have equal representation in elections?
- A) Everyone votes for the same person
- B) All regions have the same number of votes
- C) Only large cities can vote
- D) Every vote counts equally
- Why did the Chartist campaign initially fail?
- A) No one supported them
- B) They did not have enough money
- C) Their demands were not accepted at the time
- D) They were not organized
- What is one reason voting is important in a democracy?
- A) It gives people a chance to complain
- B) It allows citizens to choose their leaders
- C) It makes politics easier
- D) It creates more laws
- What major reform happened in 1928?
- A) Voting age increased to 30
- B) All adults over 21 given the right to vote
- C) Voting became optional
- D) Only men could vote
- What did the Chartists believe about MPs?
- A) They should be paid
- B) They should be unpaid
- C) Only wealthy people should be MPs
- D) MPs should not be elected
- Why might secret ballots be important in elections?
- A) They prevent people from voting
- B) They keep votes private
- C) They change the outcome
- D) They are quicker
- How did the voting system change by 1918?
- A) It became more complicated
- B) More people could vote
- C) Only men could vote
- D) Voting was removed
Hard Level Questions
- What was the main objective of the Chartists?
- A) To create a new political party
- B) To reform the voting system
- C) To end all elections
- D) To increase taxes
- The term ‘franchise’ refers to what?
- A) The size of the government
- B) The right to vote
- C) The number of political parties
- D) The election process
- How did political parties change during the 19th century?
- A) They stopped involving citizens
- B) They began including ordinary people
- C) They became more exclusive
- D) They focused only on wealthy individuals
- Why were the Chartists considered unsuccessful during their time?
- A) They did not achieve immediate results
- B) They had too many supporters
- C) They received too much media attention
- D) They were too focused on women’s rights
- In what year were women finally allowed to vote on the same terms as men?
- A) 1925
- B) 1928
- C) 1930
- D) 1945
- What did the demand for equal electoral regions mean?
- A) Every region should have the same number of representatives
- B) Only larger cities could have representatives
- C) Regions should not vote
- D) All regions would vote for the same candidate
- What was a significant outcome of the Chartist movement in the long term?
- A) Their demands were completely ignored
- B) Their ideas influenced future reforms
- C) They changed the government entirely
- D) They ended the voting system
- Why might the reduction of the voting age to 18 be significant?
- A) It allowed younger people to participate in politics
- B) It made voting less important
- C) It increased government control
- D) It had no effect
- What did the demand for MPs to be paid mean for ordinary people?
- A) Only wealthy people could be MPs
- B) More regular people could afford to be MPs
- C) MPs would have to work for free
- D) MPs could be bought
- How did the extension of voting rights in 1918 impact society?
- A) It created more political parties
- B) It increased public interest in politics
- C) It led to a decrease in voting
- D) It had no impact on society
Answers and Explanations
Easy Level Answers
- B) A system of government
- C) Men over 21 with property
- B) Changes to the voting system
- B) The right to vote
- B) A group campaigning for voting rights
- B) 1918
- B) A private vote
- A) Members of Parliament
- B) 1969
- B) Every year
Medium Level Answers
- C) Annual elections
- B) The Chartists
- B) Women over 30 allowed to vote
- B) All regions have the same number of votes
- C) Their demands were not accepted at the time
- B) It allows citizens to choose their leaders
- B) All adults over 21 given the right to vote
- A) They should be paid
- B) They keep votes private
- B) More people could vote
Hard Level Answers
- B) To reform the voting system
- B) The right to vote
- B) They began including ordinary people
- A) They did not achieve immediate results
- B) 1928
- A) Every region should have the same number of representatives
- B) Their ideas influenced future reforms
- A) It allowed younger people to participate in politics
- B) More regular people could afford to be MPs
- B) It increased public interest in politics
