ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a two-party system did exist under William and Anne, although there was a temporary blurring and realignment in the early years of William's reign. The key political battles in Parliament centered around issues on which there were distinctive Whig and Tory positions, such as the question of the security of the Church, the nature of England's role in the European wars, and diverging attitudes towards the Glorious Revolution itself. Party alignments were further affected by the fact that the executive powers of the Crown were not significantly limited by the Glorious Revolution, which meant that the monarch continued to play a crucial role in shaping the pattern of politics after 1689. Neither William nor Anne wanted to become the prisoner of party, and both used 'political managers' who were prepared to work with men of either party in order to further the interests of the royal government.
