british political history

8/10/2019 British Political History

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Britain in Comparative Politics

GVPT 280


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Main points

Dahls first path, mutual security

3 main segments of lecture:

Rise of parliament as counterweight to king(institutions)

Changes in economy and class structure

(structural)

Expansion of suffrage (participation)


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Triumph of Parliament over Crown

Movement of locus of executive power

Feudal system (mutual obligations) since

1066, William the Conqueror

Some limits on King, and these extended

with:

1215 defeat of John I at Runnymeade


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1215 Magna Carta

Immunity for feudal

lords from arbitrary

acts

King needspermission of barrons

to raise taxes

Subjects of king have

right to hold council

w/ the king


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Further early documents in Britains

Constitution

1258 Provisions of Oxford. Feudalbarrons assert power by creating acouncil, the forerunner of Parliament.

1265 first Parliament met 2 knights from each shire

2 burghurs from each town

1297 Parliament proclaims rights to: Petition the king

Have control over customs


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Full contestation and inclusion?

Mainly the landed elite involved

Early in the development of mutual

security

King retains right to dissolve Parliament.


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Absolutism in Europe

On European continent (12thand 13thc), see riseof independent powers competing w/ each other.

Traded and went to war with each other in order

to gain territory. Those nascent nation states that were

particularly involved in wars tended to developabsolutist states.

UK relatively protectedfought fewer warsstill had absolutist rulers, but less absolutist.


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Absolutist: 15thc. Tudors,

then Stuarts

Divine right as sourceof legitimacy

Henry VIII (ruled

1509-47) Broke from Rome,

makes self head ofnew Anglican church

Parliament met onlywhen king neededfunds for war.


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1600sParliaments Increasing

Challenge

Complaints against Stuart King James 1(1603-25)

attempts to raise taxes in undue manner

Oppresses domestic enemies through StarChamber (royal court)

1628 Parliament petitions the next Stuart King(Charles I) to end abuses in the Petition of

RightsCharles I exercises his right to dissolve

Parliament.


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Struggle with Parliament Over

Taxes & Religion

Increasing corruption, as King can no longer legitimately

raise taxes (no Parliament to approve them).

Persecution by Anglican Crown of religious non-

conformers (Protestant low sects).


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Scottish Revolt

King attempts to

enforce use of

Anglican prayer book.

Scottish Presbyteriansrevolt (1637)

To put down revolt, King

needs money so

has to recall

Parliament (1640).


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Competition with Parliament

Parliament refuses,

So King dissolves again;

Desperate for revenue, King

Calls Parl again, cedes to demands:

1. Cede power to dissolve Parl

2. Closes Star Chamber

1640 King Charles recalls

Parliament

Asks for funds to fight revolt


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1642-49 Civil War

Royalists Loyal to King Charles I

Anglicans

Under OliverCromwell Those loyal to

Parliament

Landed gentry

Growing commercialclass

Scottish Calvinists

Scots capture KingCharles, sell him toParliament, whichexecutes him (1649)


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History Marches On

1649-53 Commonwealth, run by House ofCommons (no monarch).

1653 Cromwell leads coup, dissolves

Parliament, Puritanism under Cromwell 1653-1660.

Stuart Monarch restored by army, Charles

2ndis king (1660-85) James 2nd(1685-88)

Monarchy andParliament


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Glorious Revolution of 1688

James 2 makes move toward absolutism and

establishment (again) of Catholocism.

Whigs and Toriesquasi-parties in Parliament,

invite new ruler, William of Orange, to take thecrown. [NB: some in Tory party continued to

support the ousted Stuart King.]

James flees Britain

new King and Queen are William and Mary


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Why Glorious?

No blood shed

Gets rid of Crown for

good as primary force in

politics

Constitutional Monarch

under a new Declaration

of Rights limiting power of

crown

Parliament gains rights

(a) to meet regularly

(b) to raise funds (taxes)

(c) to hold recurringelections

- contestation

- among the few

(landed andmerchant class)

A St t l A t B it i


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A Structural Account: Britains

Class Relations and the

Commercial Impulse


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Rise of Merchants .

To facilitate trade


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Internal Trade in Britains Industrial

Revolution

Countrysideenclosures c.1850

Towns


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Contestation Being Achieved, Yet

Who was included in Parliament?

Yes - aristocracy Noindustrial class


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Participation ExpandsReform

Acts

1832 First Reform Actincorporates industrial

middle class males (7-10% of population)

1867 Second Reform Actlower middle class

men 1884 Third Reform Actexpands to rural male

property-holders: 85% of all males

1918 Universal male suffrage & women over 30 1928- Universal female suffrage

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