Whigs
Whigs were political actors that appeared in Britain and the United States in different periods, each forming coalitions around ideas of reform, modernization, and limits on executive power. In Britain, the Whigs emerged in the late 17th century as a faction favoring constitutional monarchy, parliamentary supremacy, and religious toleration for dissenters. They played a central role after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and continued as a major political force through the 18th century, often opposing the Tories. The Whigs were associated with reformist tendencies, commercial interests, and gradual changes in governance, culminating in reforms that broadened electoral participation, notably the Reform Act of 1832. By the mid-19th century, the Whigs gradually coalesced into the Liberal Party, shaping liberal policy for decades.
In the United States, the Whig Party formed in the 1830s in opposition to Andrew Jackson and
Legacy varies by country: in Britain the Whigs contributed to the development of liberal governance and parliamentary