Political Quotes

Walter Bagehot: The gift of 'conservative innovation'--the gift of MATCHING new institutions to old--is not nowadays a warlike virtue…

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The gift of 'conservative innovation'--the gift of MATCHING new institutions to old--is not nowadays a warlike virtue, yet the Romans owed much of their success to it.
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Walter Bagehot

Editor's note · Context

Bagehot highlights the importance of 'conservative innovation' in the success of the Romans, linking it to their adaptability.

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