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Suffrage

From Tilcayo Cats, the lean encyclopaedia by Tilcayo Knowledge Systems
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Suffrage is the right to vote in elections. It is also called the franchise. Democracy today is usually linked with universal suffrage, which means that all adults can vote.[1]

History

In the past, many people could not vote. In ancient Athens, all citizens took part in debating and deciding.[2] However, Athenian democracy excluded women.[2] Harold Laski described states in which only the middle class could vote.[3]

The right to vote was extended to new groups of people during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[4] This happened in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.[5] In England there were campaigns for women's suffrage before 1914.[6] The United Kingdom has had full adult suffrage for only about 90 years, counting back from around 2018.[7]

Views on suffrage

Writing in 1931, Harold Laski argued that no state could achieve its purpose unless it was a democracy based on universal suffrage.[8] He also argued that a modern legislature needs to be based on universal suffrage.[9] He believed that universal suffrage gave ordinary people power over political institutions.[10]

See also


References

  1. ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 274. ISBN 9781317243748.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 277. ISBN 9781317243748.
  3. ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 15. ISBN 9781317586708.
  4. ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 338. ISBN 9781317243748.
  5. ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 285. ISBN 9781317243748.
  6. ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 9781317586708.
  7. ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 283. ISBN 9781317243748.
  8. ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 9781317586708.
  9. ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 53. ISBN 9781317586708.
  10. ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 9781317586708.
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