The English ConstitutionA classic study of the British constitution, paying special attention to how Parliament and the monarchy work. The author frequently draws comparisons with the American Constitution, being generally critical of the American system of government. |
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - patito-de-hule - LibraryThingWalter Bagehot was editor of the Economist and his name is still on the weekly page about England. This book describes the English Constitution and compares it favorably with the United States Constitution. Read full review
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able action administration American arguments assembly authority believe better body cabinet cabinet government chamber choose constitution course critical Crown defect difficulty discussion duty educated effect elected England English equal executive existence experience fact feeling force foreign function George give greatest head House of Commons House of Lords ideas important influence interest keep king leader least legislation legislature less live look majority matter means ment mind minister ministry monarch nation nature never object once opinion opposition Parliament parliamentary government party peers perhaps persons political popular possible present President principle probably Queen questions reason representatives respect result rule society sort sovereign speak statesmen sure things thought tion true vote whole wish
Popular passages
Page 72 - Having once given her sanction to a measure, that it be not arbitrarily altered or modified by the Minister; such an act she must consider as failing in sincerity towards the Crown, and justly to be visited by the exercise of her Constitutional right of dismissing that Minister.
Page 73 - To state the matter shortly, the sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights — the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn. And a king of great sense and sagacity would want no others.
Page 14 - hyphen which joins, a buckle which fastens the legislative part of the State to the executive part".
Page 291 - CHANGE OF AIR AND SCENE. A Physician's Hints about Doctors, Patients, Hygiene, and Society ; with Notes of Excursions for health in the Pyrenees, and amongst the Watering-places of France (Inland and Seaward), Switzerland, Corsica, and the Mediterranean. By Dr.
Page 10 - The efficient secret of the English Constitution may be described as the close union, the nearly complete fusion, of the executive and legislative powers.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The English Constitution The Making of the Modern Law |
| Author | Walter Bagehot |
| Edition | 2, reprint |
| Publisher | H. S. King & Company, 1872 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 13 Mar 2008 |
| Length | 291 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |