Answering structured questions

Disraeli’s Domestic Policy

by Mark Allchorn. Watford Grammar School

Question (i). Explain the reference to ‘two important Trade Union Acts’ (taken from R. Blake's biography of Disraeli, therefore a secondary source). (5 marks)

Adam’s answer: There are two important Trade Union acts which were passed by Disraeli. Both legally recognised the Trade Unions as a body of people who had rights, but they also gave them partial rights to strike and picket. These acts were very important because this meant that the Trade Unions were now legally recognised and what they could do was legal. This was an increase in workers' abilities and rights and one can say that it was an elevation of the working class because it gave them rights which included the opportunity to strike if they felt that they were being treated harshly. They were passed in 1886 and, from that moment onwards, the power of the Trade Unions grew each year.

Examiner’s comment. This looks promising on the surface, but closer inspection reveals a real lack of precise detail or clear focus on the question asked. The length of the answer is right for this allocation of marks, but this is a classic case of a candidate using the first question to limber up for an answer. Try to avoid this! He also makes a howler with the date!! A much better approach would have been to deal directly with the Trade Union Acts, for which the candidate should have been prepared and to explain their importance in much more precise terms. Assessment. 1 mark out of 5

Question (ii). How useful are passages B (R.A. Cross's memoirs) and C (a contemporary liberal journal) in assessing the sincerity of Disraeli's commitment to reform as expressed in passage A (Disraeli's Crystal Palace Speech)? (8 marks)

Adam’s answer: Source B was written by R A Cross, Disraeli's Home Secretary and widely regarded by historians as the man who framed all the legislation passed in Disraeli's 1874 ministry. This extract was taken from his book written in 1903, so it is a secondary source from a primary source of knowledge. Even though it was written after the time, one can say that there is no reason for Cross to be biased. We can believe what he says. He says that he thought Disraeli would have had lots of legislative schemes in mind, due to his speeches but, in fac,t he had none. He had to rely on people like Cross to make the actual legislation. So, when one looks at source B, one can come to the conclusion that Cross thought he was committed to social reform but he had no schemes. Cross is, in fact, questioning his commitment. Source C is an extract taken from a Liberal journal. Disraeli often clashed with the Liberals and indeed Dilke was a journalist with this paper. So one can assume that there would be some bias in this paper. However, at the beginning it does compliment him, though it goes on to lambaste him. It says that Disraeli is using social reforms for his own political gain and even though he did have some concern about the condition of the people he was too concerned with maintaining the Church, Crown and the land to be able to have valid commitments to social reform.

So, whilst source C attacks Disraeli, it must be taken with a pinch of salt because it is written by a Liberal paper at a time when the Liberals were out of power and obviously it would not want to praise Disraeli. These sources are very useful in that they give a Conservative and Liberal point of view about Disraeli and they give both sides of the political spectrum but still come to more or less similar conclusions, that his commitment was questionable.

Examiner’s comment. This was a much better focused answer which looks at each source. Technically, to compare three sources is difficult, but Adam gets there through dogged persistence. Notice how he uses the opportunity of exploiting the different angles presented by the sources. Style and expression sometimes let him down (eg '… they give both sides of the political spectrum …'), but there's sufficient here to reward to a solid mark. Assessment. 6 marks out of 8.

Question (iii). How far do passages A and C support the view that Disraeli developed a 'concept of paternalistic Tory democracy'? (8 marks)

Adam’s answer: Source is taken from Disraeli's Crystal Palace speech where he promoted the Tory party with its social reforms and attacked the Liberal party, calling it an 'alien scourge'. It was obviously a propaganda speech which was trying to get the Tories into power. The speech was made in 1872, so there is added substance to the argument. Did Disraeli mean what he said or was it just vote winning talk? He talks about elevating the condition of the people and how the health of the people is very important to him. It is important that Disraeli emphasises the duty that he believes the aristocracy have to those below them. Thus, even though this is a campaign speech this source does support the view that Disraeli developed a concept of paternalistic Tory democracy.

Source C, a Liberal journal which is obviously biased, says that Disraeli did have some appreciation of their position, but it was only sentiment and some knowledge, but no action or policy.

In conclusion, both tend to support some development of Disraeli's idea of Tory democracy, but these differ greatly in emphasis.

Examiner’s comment. This answer is again solid. Notice how both sources are directly referred to and the question is acknowledged in strategic places. More examples from the sources and Adam's own knowledge could well have been deployed to reach full marks, but this approach helps put him in reach of a good overall mark. Assessment. 5 marks out of 8.

Question (iv). Using all these passages and your wider knowledge, assess the extent to which Disraeli fulfilled his stated objective of the 'elevation of the condition of the people' in the period 1874-1880. (12 marks)

Adam’s answer: As with all social reforms, they can never truly be judged by their short-term consequences, only over the long term. Most of these sources were written at the time or soon after the events described, with the exception of Source D, by Robert Blake in 1966. Source A, from Disraeli's Crystal Palace speech clearly states his aim to elevate the condition of the people by passing social reform measures. However, the source doesn't in itself say whether he did it or not. However, from my wider knowledge, we know that Disraeli's ministry did pass a Public Health act and Artisans Dwelling act, thus doing something positive to elevate the condition of the people.

Source B, written by Disraeli's Home Secretary, says that even though he talked of social reform in his speeches, Disraeli had no policies and relied on colleagues for suggestions. This still implies that policies were passed. Historians, such as Paul Smith, argue that Disraeli was a social reformer, even though he did not formulate laws directly.

Source B, taken from a Liberal journal, says that whilst Disraeli had ideas, he was only making a play for power and that his reforms didn't have much impact at all on people’s suffering.

Source D is from Lord Blake's famous biography. He is a leading modern authority on Disraeli. He states that the ministry's social reform measures were to redeem election pledges but were also the largest instalment of social reform that century. Blake prefers to talk about the idea that they were part of a Tory paternalistic democracy. Overall, Blake concludes that the acts did raise the condition of the working classes, but he questions why Disraeli passed them.

If one looks hard at these reforms, one can say that even though only one was compulsory and the rest permissive, that they did elevate the condition of the people. The question of whether Disraeli did it for the power or to fulfil his objectives as set out in his novels is interesting. Probably, these reforms need to be seen over the long term and not just as short-term measures.

In conclusion, due to these sources and my wider knowledge, one can say that Disraeli did elevate the condition of the working class, not in the short term but, though his motives may be questionable, in the long term he did something and did pass some acts.

Examiner’s comment. Adam does reasonably well with this answer. Notice how he quite systematically looks at each source in turn and provides some evaluation as he goes along. Sharper analysis, backed with examples from his own knowledge would help to take this higher up the mark scale, but there's the basis of a good answer here. By looking at Adam's response one can see that making the most of the higher tariff of marks is an art which needs to be worked at; this doesn't just happen for most students! He's learned up material from his studies and is able to generally deploy this to solid effect in weighing up each source. A more confident student might have made more of the sources' different viewpoints to reach sharper conclusions. Assessment. 8 marks out of 12.

Overall comment. As these answers stand, Adam would just get his chance to go to university. Study what he wrote and make sure you develop your technique for these structured questions too in the June exams. Good luck!

Mark Allchorn (AS/A2 Examiner)