On the record
When the State Governments are not thus loved, they vanish as the little Italian and the little German potentates vanished; no federation is needed; a single central Government rules all.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “When the State Governments are not thus loved, they vanish as the little Italian and the little German potentates…”
Editor's note · Context
This statement warns that without popular support, state governments can disappear, leading to a centralized authority without the need for federation.
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More from Walter Bagehot
It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.
The lessons are good where its primitive assumptions hold, but may be false where those assumptions fail.
Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner.
Political philosophy is still more imperfect; it has been framed from observations taken upon regular specimens of politics and States; as to these its teaching is most valuable.
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