Aspects of British electoral politics 1867-1880
This dissertation examines the development of electoral politics in Great Britain between 1868 and 1880. It focuses on the general elections of 1868, 1874 and 1880 together with the intervening by-elections and explores the impact on popular politics of changes in the size and composition of the electorate as well as alterations to the electoral system arising from the 1867 Reform Act and the Ballot Act of 1872. It further argues that electoral statistics are important and useful but many historians have chosen not to use them in relation to this period because of the inherent difficulties in their measurement when there was a preponderance of multi-member seats. This is corrected by the use of an improved technique - a stratified voter methodology - to calculate these statistics more accurately and provide a more meaningful basis for analysing voter turnout, swing and related trends. Core themes are the nationalisation of popular politics and the development of mass support for the Conservative party. These are considered through an exploration of the interaction of ideology, language and electoral politics and the ways parties sought to build their allegiances and support through ideas, language and organisation.
Bennett, David
Aspects of British electoral politics 1867-1880. This dissertation examines the development of electoral politics in Great Britain between 1868 and 1880. It focuses on the general elections of 1868, 1874 and 1880 together with the intervening by-elections and explores the impact on popular politics of changes in the size and composition of the electorate as well as alterations to the electoral system arising from the 1867 Reform Act and the Ballot Act of 1872. It further argues that electoral statistics are important and useful but many historians have chosen not to use them in relation to this period because of the inherent difficulties in their measurement when there was a preponderance of multi-member seats. This is corrected by the use of an improved technique - a stratified voter methodology - to calculate these statistics more accurately and provide a more meaningful basis for analysing voter turnout, swing and related trends. Core themes are the nationalisation of popular politics and the development of mass support for the Conservative party. These are considered through an exploration of the interaction of ideology, language and electoral politics and the ways parties sought to build their allegiances and support through ideas, language and organisation.
aspects british electoral_politics examines_development electoral_politics great_britain focus general_election together intervene election explores_impact popular_politics change size composition electorate well alteration electoral system arise reform act act argue electoral statistic important useful many historian choose use relation period inherent difficulty measurement preponderance multi member seat correct use improve technique stratified calculate statistic accurately provide meaningful basis analyse related trend core theme nationalisation popular_politics development mass support conservative_party consider exploration interaction ideology language electoral_politics way party seek build allegiance support_idea language organisation