Toke S. Aidt is Reader in Economics at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, and a CESIfo Research Associate. He is the former president of the European Public Choice Society and editor of European Journal of Political Economy (2014-23). His primary research interests lie in the area of political economics and public choice with a particular focus on democratisation, public finance, and corruption in a historical perspective. His has published 56 peered-reviewed articles in journals, such as Econometrica, The Economic Journal, Journal of Politics, Journal of Economic History, and American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. He has also edited several research monographs. His research has been supported by the grants from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. Raphaël Franck is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), as well as a CEPR Research Fellow, aCESIfo Research Associate, and a GLO Fellow. He previously held visiting positions at George Mason University (USA) and at Brown University (USA), where he was a Marie Curie EU Fellow. His primary research interests lie in the areas of political economy and economic growth with regional foci on Western Europe and sub-Saharan Africa from 1800 to the present. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Political Science Review, Econometrica, The Economic Journal, The Journal of Monetary Economics, and The Review of Economics and Statistics.

• List of Figures List of Tables Main ideas 1: Introduction and overview 2: Democratisation and franchise extension: the literature Part II Historical background 3: Reform politics before 1830 4: From the Unreformed Parliament to the Great Reform Act Part III A micro-political analysis of the Great Reform Act 5: The cliffhanger: the vote in the Commons on 22 March 1831 6: A referendum on reform: the 1831 General Election 7: The battle with the lords: voting on reform in the House of Lords 8: Conclusion Historical printed sources Newspapers A note on the book cover Bibliography Index

At a time when democratic institutions are in danger all around the world, it is more essential to understand how these institutions emerged and evolved. This excellent book provides an invaluable perspective on this question by presenting a comprehensive study of the process of democratization around the Great Reform Act of 1832 in Britain. It convincingly shows how the threat of revolution and social unrest were the key driving forces but also that at critical points the process needed help from elites that were willing to accommodate demands and seek compromise. This is a must-read for all interested in the origins of democracy and those concerned about the state of politics today.

Toke S. Aidt is Reader in Economics at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, and a CESIfo Research Associate. He is the former president of the European Public Choice Society and editor of European Journal of Political Economy (2014-23). His primary research interests lie in the area of political economics and public choice with a particular focus on democratisation, public finance, and corruption in a historical perspective. His has published 56 peered-reviewed articles in journals, such as Econometrica, The Economic Journal, Journal of Politics, Journal of Economic History, and American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. He has also edited several research monographs. His research has been supported by the grants from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. Raphaël Franck is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), as well as a CEPR Research Fellow, aCESIfo Research Associate, and a GLO Fellow. He previously held visiting positions at George Mason University (USA) and at Brown University (USA), where he was a Marie Curie EU Fellow. His primary research interests lie in the areas of political economy and economic growth with regional foci on Western Europe and sub-Saharan Africa from 1800 to the present. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Political Science Review, Econometrica, The Economic Journal, The Journal of Monetary Economics, and The Review of Economics and Statistics.

• List of Figures List of Tables Main ideas 1: Introduction and overview 2: Democratisation and franchise extension: the literature Part II Historical background 3: Reform politics before 1830 4: From the Unreformed Parliament to the Great Reform Act Part III A micro-political analysis of the Great Reform Act 5: The cliffhanger: the vote in the Commons on 22 March 1831 6: A referendum on reform: the 1831 General Election 7: The battle with the lords: voting on reform in the House of Lords 8: Conclusion Historical printed sources Newspapers A note on the book cover Bibliography Index

At a time when democratic institutions are in danger all around the world, it is more essential to understand how these institutions emerged and evolved. This excellent book provides an invaluable perspective on this question by presenting a comprehensive study of the process of democratization around the Great Reform Act of 1832 in Britain. It convincingly shows how the threat of revolution and social unrest were the key driving forces but also that at critical points the process needed help from elites that were willing to accommodate demands and seek compromise. This is a must-read for all interested in the origins of democracy and those concerned about the state of politics today.

Toke S. Aidt is Reader in Economics at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, and a CESIfo Research Associate. He is the former president of the European Public Choice Society and editor of European Journal of Political Economy (2014-23). His primary research interests lie in the area of political economics and public choice with a particular focus on democratisation, public finance, and corruption in a historical perspective. His has published 56 peered-reviewed articles in journals, such as Econometrica, The Economic Journal, Journal of Politics, Journal of Economic History, and American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. He has also edited several research monographs. His research has been supported by the grants from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. Raphaël Franck is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), as well as a CEPR Research Fellow, aCESIfo Research Associate, and a GLO Fellow. He previously held visiting positions at George Mason University (USA) and at Brown University (USA), where he was a Marie Curie EU Fellow. His primary research interests lie in the areas of political economy and economic growth with regional foci on Western Europe and sub-Saharan Africa from 1800 to the present. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Political Science Review, Econometrica, The Economic Journal, The Journal of Monetary Economics, and The Review of Economics and Statistics.

• List of Figures List of Tables Main ideas 1: Introduction and overview 2: Democratisation and franchise extension: the literature Part II Historical background 3: Reform politics before 1830 4: From the Unreformed Parliament to the Great Reform Act Part III A micro-political analysis of the Great Reform Act 5: The cliffhanger: the vote in the Commons on 22 March 1831 6: A referendum on reform: the 1831 General Election 7: The battle with the lords: voting on reform in the House of Lords 8: Conclusion Historical printed sources Newspapers A note on the book cover Bibliography Index

At a time when democratic institutions are in danger all around the world, it is more essential to understand how these institutions emerged and evolved. This excellent book provides an invaluable perspective on this question by presenting a comprehensive study of the process of democratization around the Great Reform Act of 1832 in Britain. It convincingly shows how the threat of revolution and social unrest were the key driving forces but also that at critical points the process needed help from elites that were willing to accommodate demands and seek compromise. This is a must-read for all interested in the origins of democracy and those concerned about the state of politics today.