= British Democratization = A history of '''democratization in England, Wales, and Scotland''', plus recent history of Northern Ireland. Note that there is a separate page for [[Ireland/Democratization|Ireland]]. <> ---- == Constitutional Monarchy == There is no formal constitutionality to the English monarchy. The current state was achieved through centuries of minor constitutional adjustments. See also the [[UnitedKingdom/Monarchs|monarchic history]] of how the separate kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland were bound together into a single United Kingdom. In 1215, English nobility forced '''John''' to agree to the terms of the '''Magna Carta'''. This proto-constitution limited royal powers. (Note that this is technically just the kingdom of England.) When the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|Parliament]] enthroned [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamIII|William]] and [[UnitedKingdom/MaryII|Mary]] in 1689, it institutionally assumed the power to depose and raise English kings. (Note that this is technically just a personal union of the kingdoms of England and Ireland.) Civilian government effectively emerged through the [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeI|Hanoverian succession]]. First, [[UnitedKingdom/RobertWalpole|Walpole]] rose to be [[EighteenthCenturyBritishPremiers|considered]] the first [[UnitedKingdom/PrimeMinisters|prime minister]]. He and his chosen successor [[UnitedKingdom/HenryPelham|Pelham]] demonstrated power over [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeII|George II]] in both policy-making and appointments to government. Following the loss of the [[UnitedStates/Democratization#American_Revolutionary_War|American Revolutionary War]], the [[UnitedKingdom/CharlesWatsonWentworth|Watson-Wentworth]] government saw a complete shuffle of government members. Shortly after, the [[UnitedKingdom/CharlesJamesFox|Fox]]-[[UnitedKingdom/FrederickNorth|North]] coalition formed a government ''against'' the will of [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeIII|George III]]. Note that civilian here does not imply democratically elected. The [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|Parliament]] is composed of an elected '''House of Commons''' and an ennobled '''House of Lords'''. There is only a norm, established in [[UnitedKingdom/AlecDouglasHome|1963]], barring a lord from being prime minister. Furthermore, many 'elected' seats were [[EnglandInTheAgeOfTheAmericanRevolution|pocket boroughs]] in which there was factually no election. This continued until the '''Representation of the People Act''' in 1867 (a.k.a. the '''Reform Act'''). ---- CategoryRicottone