Prerequisites for Elective Government

The book identifies rare national characteristics needed for successful elective and Cabinet government, including mutual trust among electors, a calm national mind, and 'rationality'—the ability to form steady conceptions of distant political objects.

The chapter touches on the capacity of a nation for parliamentary institutions and the behavior of political parties in relation to national interest.

Bagehot identifies three essential conditions: mutual confidence among electors, a calm national mind, and rationality (the ability to conceive of distant objects). These are necessary for any elective system to function without collapse.