Victorian and Edwardian Economic History
3Victorian/Edwardian Era (Notes)
Past Exam Questions
2010:
1) INSTITUTIONS
Any industrial decline evident in late Victorian Britain can be attributed to inadequate institutions for financing the development of domestic industry. Discuss.
2) EDUCATION
The Englishman’s lack of scientific and technical education has been blamed for the failure to develop new industries and engage in R&D in late Victorian Britain. Is it the case that scientific education was deficient and, therefore, problematic for the development of industry?
3) LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY/CROSS-COUNRTY INDUSTRY SPECIALISATION
Stephen Broadberry has attributed long-term differences in labour productivity between the UK, USA and Germany over the period 1870-1914 to relative performances in their service sectors.
(a) How did Britain’s performance in this sector compare with that of her competitors during this period?
(b) Can the origins of Britain’s long-term decline be located in this sector during this period
2009:
1) MANUFACTURING
Recent research suggests that late Victorian decline occurred relative to other industrial nations and resulted from differing resource availability and sectoral shifts rather than from any failure in Britain’s manufacturing sector.
(a) Describe the evidence on which this view is based.
(b) Is there still reason to think that British manufacturing underperformed in this period?
2) CAPITAL EXPORT
The large proportion of Britain’s wealth invested abroad between 1850 and 1914 has often been held to have been detrimental to the growth of the economy in this period. Examine the case for and against this argument.
3) ENTRPRENEURSHIP
Britain’s manufacturing firms have been accused of remaining family-run and small scale in the period 1850-1914, so ignoring the benefits of the large corporation evident in the USA. Discuss whether this represents a form of entrepreneurial failure by the owners of British firms.
2008:
1) LABOUR
Past Exam Questions
2010:
1) INSTITUTIONS
Any industrial decline evident in late Victorian Britain can be attributed to inadequate institutions for financing the development of domestic industry. Discuss.
2) EDUCATION
The Englishman’s lack of scientific and technical education has been blamed for the failure to develop new industries and engage in R&D in late Victorian Britain. Is it the case that scientific education was deficient and, therefore, problematic for the development of industry?
3) LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY/CROSS-COUNRTY INDUSTRY SPECIALISATION
Stephen Broadberry has attributed long-term differences in labour productivity between the UK, USA and Germany over the period 1870-1914 to relative performances in their service sectors.
(a) How did Britain’s performance in this sector compare with that of her competitors during this period?
(b) Can the origins of Britain’s long-term decline be located in this sector during this period
2009:
1) MANUFACTURING
Recent research suggests that late Victorian decline occurred relative to other industrial nations and resulted from differing resource availability and sectoral shifts rather than from any failure in Britain’s manufacturing sector.
(a) Describe the evidence on which this view is based.
(b) Is there still reason to think that British manufacturing underperformed in this period?
2) CAPITAL EXPORT
The large proportion of Britain’s wealth invested abroad between 1850 and 1914 has often been held to have been detrimental to the growth of the economy in this period. Examine the case for and against this argument.
3) ENTRPRENEURSHIP
Britain’s manufacturing firms have been accused of remaining family-run and small scale in the period 1850-1914, so ignoring the benefits of the large corporation evident in the USA. Discuss whether this represents a form of entrepreneurial failure by the owners of British firms.
2008:
1) LABOUR