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How did democracy evolve in England between 1800 and 2000 (view source)
Revision as of 23:09, May 21, 2008
, 23:09, May 21, 2008Undo revision 458099 by Special:Contributions/Otter (User talk:Otter) vandalism
While I outlined six major statutes reforming the British system over at the article describing [[democracy]], there were a few important changes I failed to mention, such as the institution of the [[secret ballot]] in Britain by an act of 1872 (I think). Prior to that, an [[elector]] (man with the [[franchise]]) had to stand in front of election officials and his peers and state for all to hear, "I vote for. . ." What made British democracy viable throughout the period in question was more than anything the independence of the [[judiciary]] and the [[Rule of Law]].
In truth, the [[House of Lords]] was in decline in England before the [[Parliament Act]] of 1911. The last [[Prime Minister]] chosen from that House who was not forced to renounce his title was the [[Marquess of Salisbury]] in the late 1890's. I consider the Parliament Act to be of equal significance to any of the Reform Acts because it removed the power of unelected lords and ladies to block a [[budget]], the lifeblood of modern government.
I may have given short shrift to post-World War II developments. For example, even before his second general election as party leader, [[Tony Blair]] reformed the House of Lords so that the vast majority of its members are [[life peers]] rather than hereditary ones who pass on their seat to their oldest child. Also, [[Margaret Thatcher]] attempted to introduce a [[poll tax]] in the 1980's, but this was rightly denounced as a potential severe restriction of the franchise. The rise and fall of the British [[welfare state]] would be a good topic to explore in an article on the [[Postwar history of Great Britain]], although I do not see it as a necessary result of British democracy. -- [[User talk:Amyz|Amyz]], 10:08, June 4, 2007 (EDT)
[[Category:Homeschool Curriculum]]