ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part points the way to possible answers to all the questions. The most important historical problem that dominates the reigns of the later Stuarts is to assess the importance and significance of the Glorious Revolution. During the thirty years the nature of political rivalries and the existence of political parties in this period have been hotly debated. The greatest and most intractable problem about the twenty-five years of Stuart England is to explain why these were years of great political instability, in contrast to the relative peace and calm of political life in early Hanoverian Britain. However, the most startling contrast in the nature of political life during the reigns of William III and Queen Anne, and one which sets it apart from both the preceding and succeeding periods, is the frequency of general elections.
