| Prussian Three-class Franchise |
Article Index for Prussian |
Website Links For Prussian |
Information AboutPrussian Three-class Franchise |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PRUSSIAN THREE-CLASS FRANCHISE | |
| electoral systems | |
| history of prussia | |
|
Those eligible to vote were men aged over 24, divided by their direct tax revenue into three classes. These three classes were calculated according to how much tax one paid, by dividing the entire range of taxes into thirds. The first class was for those paying the highest taxes; the second for those with a lower income; the third for those paying few or no taxes. Voting took place in public, orally; there was no was the only person able to vote for the electors in the first class in Essen . Prussia's controlling position in the German Empire meant that the system was at the heart of debates about reform. Extending suffrage would, however, have meant the downfall of the ruling conservative politicians, elected by the wealthy voters the three-class system favoured. Thus, despite popular dissatisfaction, the Prussian franchise persisted. In 1917, Theobald Von Bethmann-Hollweg , German Chancellor and Prussian Prime Minister, drafted a reform to the voting system. Trying to placate the public and avoid revolution, Kaiser Wilhelm II proclaimed a watered-down version of this reform in his Easter Speech on April 7 , which, giving no fixed date, failed to satisfy the public. The three-class system remained until the German Revolution of November 1918 when the Weimar Republic was formed. Article 17 of its Constitution proclaimed Proportional Representation for women and men over the age of 20, with a secret ballot system. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|