British Government

1
British Government
2
Great Britain

• Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• England

3
Constitutional Monarchy
4
Constitutional Monarchy

• Began 1688 Glorious Rev.
• Most Progressive
• Ruler limited by law
• Monarch needed Parliaments consent
• Parliament needed monarchs consent

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Previous Limits

• 1215 Magna Carta
• King John limits kings power
• English Bill of Rights
• Secured Constitutional Monarchy

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Parliament
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House of Commons
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Meeting of House of Commons
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House of Lords
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House of Lords
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The English Cabinet
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The Cabinet

• Executive Committee
• Originally temporary
• Acted in rulers name
• Only represented majority party
• Why Stalemate possible b/w Parliament and
  Monarch

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The Cabinet

• Began Wm. and Mary
• Most influential ministers
• Appointed and dismissed at will
• End of rule for support chose majority party
  members (Whigs)
• Assured king majority vote
• Cabinet now link b/w king and Parliament

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Rise of the Prime Minister
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Background

• 1 minister dominated cabinet during Hanoverian
  Dynasty
• German dynasty
• Last Stuart Anne died 1714
• George I II- little English, no interest in
  British affairs
• Lack of knowledge- leads to reliance on ministers

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Prime Minster Emerges

• Sir Robert Walpole
• 1721 George I appts. him first Lord of the
  Treasury
• 1721-1741 unofficial ruler of Britain
• First Prime Minister
• Set pattern for modern British politics

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The System

• Cabinet center of power and policy making
• Leader of majority party in Parliament led
  cabinet as prime minister

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A Summary

• Works best if only 2 parties
• Advantages
• Executive, majority party will get legislation
  passed
• Disadvantages
• Minority has little say
• Possibility of frequent elections (party not
  support PM, party balance)

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George III

• Tried to take back power
• US issue- No taxation w/out representation
• Average GB citizens did not have these rights
• Ulterior motive- break away from mercantilism

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British Reform Legislation
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Reform Bill 1832

• Why pressure from merchants factory owners
• Purpose set up new districts for electing
  members of Parliament
• Old districts- medieval villages now empty (owner
  had vote)
• New cities (Manchester, Sheffield) no elected
  reps (grew after districts formed)

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Reform Bill 1832

• Significance
• End to injustice- new cities got vote
• More men gained suffrage (men who paid certain
  amount in rent gained vote, not just landowners)
• Most all middle class voted now
• 20 voting (2xs more)

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Reform Act of 1867

• Why Growing prosperity social responsibility
  of working class
• Some politicians convinced to extend suffrage
• Reform League (John Bright)- pushed Parliamentary
  action

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Reform Act of 1867

• 1866 Lord Russell introduces idea- defeated by
  Conservatives antidemocratic Liberals
• Conservative Disraeli (led House of Commons) gets
  bill passed
• Accepted liberal amendments
• Voting 1,43 mil to 2.47 mil (working class)

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Reform Act of 1867

• Disraeli wanted Conservatives to get support of
  new voters
• Saw change inevitable- let Conservatives get
  credit (responsive to social change)
• Believed growing mid class would be Conservative

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Disraeli v. Gladstone
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Gladstone

• Liberal PM 1868-1874
• Began as a Conservative
• Wanted old institutions opened
• 1870 Exams for Civil Service
• 1871 Abolished purchase of officers commission
• 1872 Secret Ballot
• Anglican requirement dropped for universities

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Gladstone

• Education Act of 1870
• Govt. est. and run elementary schools (instead of
  church)
• Church had been given little money inadequate
  schools
• NO education in areas no church
• Why? Democracy does NOT work with society of
  illiterates

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Gladstone

• Goals
• Remove old abuses without destroying existing
  institutions
• Citizens compete on ability
• Recognizes trade unions
• Stress individualism, free trade, competition
  (solve social probs)
• Significance- state-building brings loyalty

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Gladstone in House of Commons
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Disraeli

• Conservative PM 1874-1880
• Favored paternalistic legislation
• Action few specific programs
• Richard Cross- Home Sec.
• Responsible for social legislation

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Disraeli

• 1875 Public Health Act-
• state interfere on private property in matters of
  health, well-being
• 1875 Artisans Dwelling Act-
• State provide housing to working class
• 1875 Conservatives offer protections to trade
  unions
• Allowed to strike

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Benjamin Disraeli
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Loss of Power by House of Lords
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David Lloyd George

• Liberal
• Minister of Finance
• 1909- Prime Minister
• Social Welfare

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Social Welfare Program

• Old-age pensions
• Accident/illness insurance for workers
• Unemployment benefits
• FUNDING income taxes (wealthy)
• Peoples Budget

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Peoples Budget

• Only House of Commons passed
• Issue- place of House of Lords in British govt.
• Liberals want to limit power
• Liberals win next 2 elections but lords refuse
  reforms
• King threatened to appt. new liberal- minded
  lords (pass reform)
• Lords vote to limit own power

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Peoples Budget

• Resolved- House of Lords only delay bills passed
  by House of Commons
• After 2 yrs. bills become law
• One step closer to fully democratic govt.

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Friday

• Papers Back
• Notebooks Back
• Get out Greek DBQ documents
• POV

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Irish Question
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The Basics

• Ireland controlled by British for nearly 300
  years
• 1801- directly from London
• 1870s Irish nationalists seek home rule
• Irish Home Rule Party- seek independence
• Liberals support home rule
• Gladstones bills defeated

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Issues

• Prices of farm products drop
• 1000s cant pay rent
• 2000 families pushed out of homes
• Angry farmers, nationalists become violent
• 1870-1880s- Protestants and Catholics work
  together for home rule

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A Change

• 1900s Irish Protestants turn against home rule
• Lived in N. Ireland (Ulster)
• Fear being a minority
• 1914 Home Rule bill passed
• WWI broke put month before bill to take effect

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Social Issues

• Anglo Saxons (British)- English
• Celts (Irish)- Gaelic
• English see Irish as inferior, lazy people (treat
  poorly)
• English- Protestant
• Irish- Catholic (no representation, no vote)

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Political Issues

• Protestants (minority) and Catholics (majority)
• Who control govt?
• Home Rule?
• 1936 Ireland gained independence (N. Ireland
  independent for Protestants)

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Economic Issues

• Gladstone
• Tenant Laws- land back to Irish
• Henry Elizabeth- bought out Irish land est.
  British farms
• Cromwell finished conquest
• Irish wanted British landlords out

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British Empire
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Empire

• Colonies key to prosperity- benefit Britain
• Mercantilism
• 1700s- focus is on gaining controlling
  colonies
• 1763 British strongest colonial and navel power
  in Europe

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Empire Size

• Extending on Indian subcontinent
• N. America- east of Mississippi
• Islands in Caribbean- SUGAR
• Canada- largest part of Empire
• Navigation Laws 1660 1663- tight control of
  colonies