Walter Bagehot – författare

'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.

Walter Bagehot was one of the great political journalists of his—or indeed of any—age. Woodrow Wilson called his approach a "fresh and original method which has made the British system much ore intelligible to ordinary men than it was before."For anyone who wants to understand the workings of British politics, this book, written in 1867, is still the best introduction available. It is a study of the classical period of Cabinet government before the extension of the suffrage, the creation of the party machines, and the emergence of an independent Civil Service administering a vast welfare state.A thoughtful and provocative introduction by R. H. S. Crossman, M.P., gives biographical material on Bagehot, compares his political philosophy with those of his contemporaries, and contrasts Britain's parliamentary government today with that of the last century.