The English Constitution
Second Edition, Annotated
by Walter Bagehot
This annotated edition includes the complete text of the second edition of this classic work, including the author’s extensive introductory note to the second edition and all original footnotes properly placed in the related text. Not a machine-scanned or facsimile reproduction, this edition has been prepared by human editors, includes an original detailed biographical note discussing the life, work, and continued relevance of the author and is printed on heavyweight bright-white paper with a fully laminated cover.
The English Constitution (1867) was substantially revised for a second edition (1872) and was an ambitious undertaking, chronicling and describing the British government as it actually worked in the context of society’s everyday life.
Recognizing that government as it functions is different from government as laid out on paper in the documents that constitute the “law of the land”, Walter Bagehot addressed the many factors that affect how a country is run, including the beliefs, attitudes and mindset of the general population and the habits, goals and beliefs of those already in government.
Originally written at a time when Britain was divided over giving the working man with no property the vote, European countries were embracing or drifting toward despotism and the United States was in the closing stages of a traumatic civil war, Bagehot identified and analyzed the “dignified” and “efficient” elements which kept the English system stable. His 1872 second edition addressed the changes to the British political system brought about by a generational change in leadership, the attitudes of the wealthy, middle, and working classes toward government, and the effects of the actual operation of government upon those groups.
Bagehot’s analysis of the roles of the monarchy, the prime minister and cabinet, and parliament, and comparisons with the American presidential system and its constitution embodied in one single written document, are considered astute and timeless, and The English Constitution is viewed as an important milestone in the development of the study of democratic government and governmental institutions and their relationship with the people of the society being governed.
About the author…
Walter Bagehot (1826–1877) was a British economist, political analyst, essayist, author and editor of The Economist, and one of the most influential journalists of the mid-Victorian period. A co-founder of the National Review in 1855, in 1860 he took over management of The Economist. Over the next 17 years Bagehot wrote the main article for most issues, improved and expanded the statistical and financial sections, and turned the journal into one of the world’s foremost business and political publications.
His observations on finance are still cited today and gained renewed prominence with the global financial crisis which began in 2007. Banking and financial policy worldwide continues to be influenced by “Bagehot’s Dictum” which states that in times of financial crisis central banks should serve as a stabilizing force by lending to solvent depository institutions, but only within guidelines promoting fluidity while avoiding devaluation of the currency and inflation.
Among the first economists to discuss the concept of the business cycle and one of the most influential journalists and economic and political commentators of his day, Bagehot’s works have been read, reprinted, discussed and analyzed continuously since his death. In recognition of his major intellectual contributions to the evolution of modern political and financial policy, the British Political Studies Association awards the annual Walter Bagehot Prize for the best dissertation in the field of government and public administration.
Product details
Publisher: Apex Legal Publishing (December 31, 2023)
Language: English
Paperback: 377 pages
ISBN: 978-1724471932
Item Weight: 1.41 pounds
Dimensions: 6 x 0.85 x 9 inches
List Price: $15.97
