History · 2004 · 13 citations · 1 references
Social SciencesHistoryPolitical ScienceElectoral PoliticsLocal PoliticsPolitical HistoryElectoral BehaviorElectoral HistoryElectoral ReformUrban Electoral PoliticsVoting BehaviorHouse Of Commons HistoryLocal Political PartiesParty LoyaltyQuantitative Data CollectionSmall Town DynamicsTown-county Relations
Abstract Electoral politics in the small towns of England and Wales between the First (1832) and Second (1867) Reform Acts have been dismissed by historians as corrupt or controlled by influential patrons. This article uses qualitative and quantitative data to reveal that voters in these small boroughs demonstrated a surprising degree of party loyalty, with the politics of influence less obvious that those of principle. The article concludes that these towns, which elected almost one‐third of the membership of the House of Commons, exhibited a far more vibrant political milieu than was previously thought.
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