Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of suffrage, or the right to vote, to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief or social status.

Related Topics:
Suffrage - Vote

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In the first modern democracies only a limited number of people had a say in the running of the government - for example in Britain only landowners had the right to vote from 1265. In all modern democracies the number of people who could vote increased gradually with time. The 19th century featured movements advocating universal male suffrage - the extension to all males regardless of class or race. The democratic movement of the late 19th century, unifying Liberals and Social Democrats, particularly in northern Europe, used the slogan Equal and Common Suffrage.

Related Topics:
Britain - 1265 - Liberal - Social Democrat

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The Movement for Universal Suffrage consisted of a social, economic and political movement aimed at extending suffrage to people of all races.

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