The English Constitution · Theme
Monarchy and Public Sentiment
How The English Constitution develops Monarchy and Public Sentiment.
The monarchy is presented as a powerful 'dignified' element that appeals to the emotions and imagination of the masses, providing intelligibility and religious-like reverence that stabilizes the government, especially for less educated citizens.
Where it surfaces
- II: The Monarchy
Bagehot argues that the monarchy's dignified role makes government intelligible to the masses, relying on imagination and reverence rather than complex constitutional understanding.
- I
Bagehot emphasizes that monarchy appeals to the imagination and emotions of the masses, making government intelligible and securing popular loyalty.
- II
Explores the practical utility of a hereditary constitutional monarch in Cabinet government, contrasting the ideal with historical performance and the inherent limitations of hereditary succession.
- Its Supposed Checks and Balances
Discusses the role of the monarch in dissolving Parliament and creating peers, and whether a hereditary king is essential or useful for parliamentary government.
- VII: The Prerequisites of Cabinet Government, and the Peculiar Form Which They Have Assumed in England
The monarchy's visible pomp and the Queen's role as an unchosen ruler are highlighted as crucial for masking the reality of cabinet government, thereby preventing the masses from being overwhelmed by the excitement of choosing their rulers.
- VII: Its History, and the Effects of That History—Conclusion
Bagehot discusses how the historical reverence for the Crown persists, leading to a public distrust of the executive that is rhetorically expressed as jealousy of the Queen's prerogative.