Book contents
- Frontmatter
- CHAPTER I Introductory survey: On the limits of modern history
- CHAPTER II The transformation of social life
- CHAPTER III The world economy: Interdependence and planning
- CHAPTER IV Science and technology
- CHAPTER V Diplomatic history 1900–1912
- CHAPTER VI The approach of the war of 1914
- CHAPTER VII The first world war
- CHAPTER VIII The peace settlement of Versailles 1918–1933
- CHAPTER IX The League of Nations
- CHAPTER X The Middle East 1900–1945
- CHAPTER XI INDIA AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA
- CHAPTER XII China, Japan and the Pacific 1900–1931
- CHAPTER XIII The British Commonwealth of Nations
- CHAPTER XIV The Russian Revolution
- CHAPTER XV The Soviet Union 1917–1939
- CHAPTER XVI Germany, Italy and eastern Europe
- CHAPTER XVII Great Britain, France, The Low Countries and Scandinavia
- The political system and the organisation of society at the beginning of the century
- Government by the liberal bourgeoisie: 1900–1914
- The inter-war years 1921–1939
- The second world war 1939–1945
- CHAPTER XVIII The United States of America
- CHAPTER XIX Latin America
- CHAPTER XX Literature 1895–1939
- CHAPTER XXI PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS THOUGHT
- CHAPTER XXII PAINTING, SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE
- CHAPTER XXIII Diplomatic history 1930–1939
- CHAPTER XXIV The second world war
- CHAPTER XXV Diplomatic history of the second world war
The political system and the organisation of society at the beginning of the century
from CHAPTER XVII - Great Britain, France, The Low Countries and Scandinavia
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
- Frontmatter
- CHAPTER I Introductory survey: On the limits of modern history
- CHAPTER II The transformation of social life
- CHAPTER III The world economy: Interdependence and planning
- CHAPTER IV Science and technology
- CHAPTER V Diplomatic history 1900–1912
- CHAPTER VI The approach of the war of 1914
- CHAPTER VII The first world war
- CHAPTER VIII The peace settlement of Versailles 1918–1933
- CHAPTER IX The League of Nations
- CHAPTER X The Middle East 1900–1945
- CHAPTER XI INDIA AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA
- CHAPTER XII China, Japan and the Pacific 1900–1931
- CHAPTER XIII The British Commonwealth of Nations
- CHAPTER XIV The Russian Revolution
- CHAPTER XV The Soviet Union 1917–1939
- CHAPTER XVI Germany, Italy and eastern Europe
- CHAPTER XVII Great Britain, France, The Low Countries and Scandinavia
- The political system and the organisation of society at the beginning of the century
- Government by the liberal bourgeoisie: 1900–1914
- The inter-war years 1921–1939
- The second world war 1939–1945
- CHAPTER XVIII The United States of America
- CHAPTER XIX Latin America
- CHAPTER XX Literature 1895–1939
- CHAPTER XXI PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS THOUGHT
- CHAPTER XXII PAINTING, SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE
- CHAPTER XXIII Diplomatic history 1930–1939
- CHAPTER XXIV The second world war
- CHAPTER XXV Diplomatic history of the second world war
Summary
France had adopted the principle of universal suffrage in 1848, but in Great Britain, although the Act of 1884 had increased the number of voters from four to five millions, the franchise was not universal, and plural voting was possible for persons owning houses or premises in several constituencies. In Sweden three-quarters of the citizens were denied the right to vote, and in Holland a property qualification was still in force, although it was reduced from ten florins to one in 1896; Belgium introduced a system of plural voting in 1893, whereby supplementary voting rights were granted to heads of families, citizens owning property worth 2,000 francs or providing an income of 100 francs, and those who had reached a certain level of education. But the proportion of voters to the population as a whole remained generally low: in France, 26·6 per cent (1898), in Belgium, 22 per cent (1900), in Holland, 11·9 per cent (1900), in Norway, 18·6 per cent (1900) and, in Sweden, 7·4 per cent (1902).
The bicameral system was in operation everywhere, but this system was always tempered by the extensive powers of the upper Chamber, drawn from a much narrower sector of the population than the lower Chamber, and also by the influence—considerable but highly variable—that still remained in the hands of the head of state.
The parliamentary system was as yet securely established only in a small number of nations: in Norway since 1880, in Denmark since 1901, and in Great Britain—a model admired by liberals everywhere, where the queen always chose as her Prime Minister the leader of the majority party.
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- The New Cambridge Modern History , pp. 513 - 514Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1968