# Prerequisites for Elective Government in The English Constitution

> Theme guide for The English Constitution by Walter Bagehot.

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.

## Where it surfaces

- [Introduction](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_english_constitution_se/chapters/i): The chapter touches on the capacity of a nation for parliamentary institutions and the behavior of political parties in relation to national interest.
- [VII: The Prerequisites of Cabinet Government, and the Peculiar Form Which They Have Assumed in England](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_english_constitution_se/chapters/vii-the-prerequisites-of-cabinet-government-and-the-peculiar-form-which-they-have-assumed-in-england): 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.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_english_constitution_se/themes/prerequisites_for_elective_government
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_english_constitution_se/themes