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At a time when constitutional issues are assuming a greater
importance in public life than they have held for perhaps 25 years,
it seems a particularly apt moment to re-publish Walter Bagehot's
classic analysis of the constitution. Major changes to the
constitution are promised by the new Labour government, and the
political controversy over these suggests that changes generated
during the 1997 election campaign have thrust critical analysis of
the constitution once more into the limelight.
The English Constitution provides the most lucid and readable
account of what has been termed the 'Golden Age' of the nineteenth
century constitution, before the advent of universal male suffrage
and the rise of party as the overriding force in the British
polity. Despite being strongly rooted in its time, Bagehot's work
can still provide us with fascinating insights into the basic
nature of the constitution and its organic connections with the
society within which it functions. In sketching connections between
class and political systems, in its use of ideology, in what we
would now term its interdisciplinary approach, Bagehot's study
provides insights and analysis of sometimes startling
modernity.
In this new Introduction, Gavin Phillipson provides a fresh and
distinctly contemporary appraisal of Bagehot's famous work. The
Introduction clearly elucidates how the actual workings of the
constitution have changed since Bagehot's time but powerfully
illuminates the strong continuing value and contemporary relevance
of his analysis.
'An ancient and ever-altering constitution is like an old man who
still wears with attached fondness clothes in the fashion of his
youth: what you see of him is the same; what you do not see is
wholly altered.' Walter Bagehot's The English Constitution (1867)
is the best account of the history and working of the British
political system ever written. As arguments raged in mid-Victorian
Britain about giving the working man the vote, and democracies
overseas were pitched into despotism and civil war, Bagehot took a
long, cool look at the 'dignified' and 'efficient' elements which
made the English system the envy of the world. His analysis of the
monarchy, the role of the prime minister and cabinet, and
comparisons with the American presidential system are astute and
timeless, and pertinent to current discussions surrounding
devolution and electoral reform. Combining the wit and panache of a
journalist with the wisdom of a man of letters steeped in
evolutionary ideas and historical knowledge, Bagehot produced a
book which is always thoughtful, often funny, and seldom dull. This
edition reproduces Bagehot's original 1867 work in full, and
introduces the reader to the dramatic political events that
surrounded its publication. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years
Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of
literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects
Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate
text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert
introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the
text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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