Question Answer

1 What was the Witan? A council of nobles that advised the king
2 Which Anglo-Saxon kingdom became dominant? Wessex
He was chosen by the Witan, and was usually the richest
3 How was the king chosen in Anglo-Saxon England? and most powerful noble

It was highly influential and managed many

4 Why was the Church so important to Anglo-Saxon kings? administrative roles

To defend the kingdom, protect the Church and enforce

5 What was the role of the king in Anglo-Saxon England? the law
6 Which Viking king came to rule England in the 11th century? King Cnut

7 How did Cnut secure his control of England during his absences? Divided the country into four earldoms
What two changes did Edward the Confessor introduce to English
8 government? Sheriffs and writs

9 Why did Henry II fall out with Thomas Becket? They fought over the issue of Benefit of Clergy

10 How was Thomas Becket killed? Four knights killed him in Canterbury Cathedral

No - Henry retained the power to appoint bishops and

11 Did the Becket dispute pose a major challenge to Henry II's power? collect money from vacant bishoprics
Because he did not consult with them, taxed them highly
12 Why did the barons rebel against King John? and abused the justice system

The king could not sell justice, and was monitored by a

13 What was agreed in Magna Carta? council of 25 barons
14 When was Magna Carta reissued? 1225, 1265 and 1297
15 Why did Simon de Montfort lead a rebellion against Henry III? The barons were unhappy with Henry's high taxes

16 What were the Provisions of Oxford? The king had to defer to a council of 24 advisors

17 How was Edward I's parliament different to Henry III's? He summoned it voluntarily

18 Why did Wat Tyler lead the Peasants' Revolt against Richard II? He was critical of high taxation
Henry Bolingbroke, because Richard was arresting those
19 Who overthrew Richard II and why? who opposed him

A clash between the House of York and Lancaster over

20 What were the Wars of the Roses? the throne
21 How did the Wars of the Roses challenge the power of the monarchy? The king was unable to control his most powerful nobles

They promoted men of humble origin to positions of

22 How did Henry VII and Henry VIII develop a bureaucratic government? power

The act that made Henry VIII the head of the new Church
23 What was the Act of Supremacy? of England

24 What is the 'Political Nation'? The people who have a say in government
The idea that kings were appointed by God and only
25 What was the 'divine right of kings'? answerable to God
An agreement by Charles not to tax the people without
26 What was the Petition of Right? parliament's approval
27 When was Charles I's 'Personal Rule'? 1629-1640

The attempted arrested of 5 MPs (involved in the Grand

28 What action by Charles I triggered the Civil War in January 1642? Remonstrance)
The well-disciplined and well-trained parliamentary army
29 What was the New Model Army? that won the Civil War

30 What were the consequences of the execution of Charles I? The idea of divine right was challenged
A group that wanted more restrictions on the power of
31 Who were the Whigs? the king, and greater powers for parliament
A group that wanted more power for the king and less
32 Who were the Tories? power for parliament

Richard Cromwell was extremely unpopular and the army

33 Why was the monarchy restored in 1660? was divided
 A bloodless revolution where William and Mary were
34 What was the Glorious Revolution? invited to take the throne from James II
Parliament was to meet at least once a year, and had to
35 What was agreed in the Bill of Rights? approve taxation every four years
MPs grouped together in order to work more effectively
36 Why did political parties develop in the 1690s? and pass the measures they wanted
A system of government where ministers did most of the
37 What was parliamentary monarchy? business of running the country
There was no secret ballot and rotten borough enabled
38 What two practices led to corruption in British elections? the rich to 'buy' elections
It introduced new ideas and led to calls for more people
39 What impact did the French Revolution have on British politics? to have the right to vote
A group of MPs who wanted to introduce electoral
40 Who were the Radicals? reforms?
Who was elected in 1830 and oversaw the passing of the Great Reform
41 Act? The Whig Party, led by Earl Grey

42 How was the Great Reform Act passed through the House of Lords? Earl Grey created more Whig lords so that it could pass
Although only 18% of men could now vote, it was the first
43 Why might the 1832 Reform Act be described as a 'stepping stone'? step on the path of reform
Universal suffrage, no property qualification to become
an MP, equal representation for constituencies, and the
44 What did the Chartists campaign for? secret ballot
Electorate rose from 20% of men to 40%. All men who
45 What did the 1867 Reform Act change? rented a house in a borough could vote.
Electorate rose from 3 million to 5 million. It redistributed
46 What did the 1884 Reform Act change? seats more fairly based on population

47 Who made up the Independent Labour Party (ILP)? Working men, driven by the New Unions
It stopped the House of Lords blocking measures that the
48 What was the Parliament Act of 1911? House of Commons had approved

49 How did government control increase during the First World War? Conscription, rationing and censorship

How did the relationship between people and government change with People grew used to the involvement of the state in their
50 the First World War everyday lives

51 What was the result of the 1945 general election? The Labour Party won a landslide victory
What significant reforms did the Labour government introduce from
52 1945? National Insurance, the NHS and nationalisation
She rejected the idea that the government should solve
53 How did Thatcher challenge the post-war consensus? social and economic problems.
Thatcher fell from power following controversy over the
54 Why did Thatcher fall from power? Poll Tax, and clashes with her advisors on foreign affairs
55 How did 'New Labour' change the Labour Party? It followed Thatcher in rejecting the post-war consensus

56 What was the CND? Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

57 What led to the Miners' Strike in 1984? The closure of mines that were not profitable
Why did Greenpeace campaign against British Nuclear Fuels Limited They believed that the Sellafield plant was releasing
58 (BNFL)? radioactive water into the sea
They organised campaigns about particular issues and
59 Why did pressure groups become so influential? held parliament to account

How did the regions begin to pose a challenge to the British Regions began to demand devolved power and/or
60 parliament? independence
What impact did professional politicians have on engagement with People did not believe that their politicians would really
61 politics? stand up for them
No party won over 50% of the votes, leading to a hung
parliament. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats
62 What was the result of the 2010 general election? formed a coalition government