ROTTEN BOROUGH Meaning and
Definition
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A "rotten borough" refers to a term historically used to describe a parliamentary district, usually in the United Kingdom, that had a small number of eligible voters yet held significant political influence. The term became particularly prevalent during the 18th and 19th centuries, when the British political system underwent significant reform.
These boroughs earned the "rotten" moniker due to their corrupt and outdated electoral practices, which allowed a handful of wealthy landowners or aristocrats to control and manipulate the voting process. In many cases, the boroughs that had once been thriving and populated had long since declined, leaving only a negligible number of residents eligible to vote.
The corrupt nature of rotten boroughs was evident in the fact that some members of Parliament were elected solely by a handful of voters. As a result, these rotten boroughs wielded disproportionate political power and often influenced national policies, even though they may not have represented the interests or opinions of a diverse citizenry.
The problematic influence exerted by rotten boroughs became increasingly criticized during the 19th century as calls for electoral reform grew stronger. The Reform Act of 1832 was a crucial step in addressing this issue, as it aimed to rectify the imbalance in representation by redistributing parliamentary seats and eliminating most of the rotten boroughs. Subsequent acts of reform further diminished the significance of these boroughs, leading to a fairer and more democratic electoral system in the UK.
Common Misspellings for ROTTEN BOROUGH
- eotten borough
- dotten borough
- fotten borough
- totten borough
- 5otten borough
- 4otten borough
- ritten borough
- rktten borough
- rltten borough
- rptten borough
- r0tten borough
- r9tten borough
- rorten borough
- roften borough
- rogten borough
- royten borough
- ro6ten borough
- ro5ten borough
- rotren borough
Etymology of ROTTEN BOROUGH
The term "rotten borough" originated in 18th-century Britain. It was used to describe certain parliamentary constituencies that had a very small number of eligible voters due to population shifts over time. However, these small boroughs continued to be represented in the House of Commons, despite having a disproportionate amount of power compared to more populous areas.
The term "rotten" in "rotten borough" refers to the notion of decay or corruption, as these boroughs were often controlled by wealthy and influential individuals who were able to manipulate the electoral system for their own benefit. The term "borough" refers to a town or district that had the right to elect a representative to the Parliament.
The existence of rotten boroughs began to be criticized as undemocratic, as they gave disproportionate power to wealthy landowners and limited the representation of growing urban areas.
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