On the record
The old notion that the Government is an extrinsic agency still rules our imaginations, though it is no longer true, and though in calm and intellectual moments we well know it is not.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “The old notion that the Government is an extrinsic agency still rules our imaginations, though it is no longer true, and…”
Editor's note · Context
Bagehot critiques the outdated notion of government as an external force, advocating for a more integrated understanding of governance.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
Subject to this saving remark, however, I not only admit, but maintain, that our Constitution is full of curious oddities, which are impeding and mischievous, and ought to be struck out.
The casual line was traced according to the strength of deceased combatants; succeeding generations fought elsewhere; and the hesitating line of a half-drawn battle was left to stand for a perpetual limit.
These anomalies, in a hundred instances, mark the old boundaries of a constitutional struggle.
I cannot, therefore, join in the full cry against anomalies; in my judgment it may quickly overrun the scent, and so miss what we should be glad to find.
Other voices in this conversation
