Economic Origin of Political Parties

Bibliographic Data

ID6579302
AuthorsChristopher Kam (0000-0002-2431-4675), Adlai Newson
Year2021
Publication date2021-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueEconomic Origin of Political Parties (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/9781108908726
OpenAlexW3120396779
Open LibraryOL34761944M, OL34772881M
ISBN9781108828420, 9781108908726
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited74

This Element examines how the changing economic basis of parliamentary elections in nineteenth century England and Wales contributed to the development of modern parties and elections. Even after the 1832 Reform Act expanded the British electorate, elections in many constituencies went uncontested, party labels were nominal, and candidates spent large sums treating and bribing voters. By the end of the century, however, almost every constituency was contested, candidates stood as representatives of national parties, and campaigns were fought on the basis of policies. We show how industrialization, the spread of literacy, and the rise of cheap newspapers, encouraged candidates to enter and contest constituencies. The increased expense that came from fighting frequent elections in larger constituencies induced co-partisan candidates to form slates. This imparted a uniform partisan character to parliamentary elections that facilitated the emergence of programmatic political parties

CONTEST · General election · Newspaper · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Politics and government · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Public Administration · Europe

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