- Hardcover: 512 pages
- Publisher: Allen Lane (29 Jan 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0713993944
- ISBN-13: 978-0713993943
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,267,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
Vernon Bogdanor offers a fresh insight into the substantial, and still largely underappreciated, changes to the British constitution. He combines the approaches of the political historian, the constitutional lawyer and the political scientist to put the changes into a wider context. It is a must read for anyone interested in British politics. --Peter Riddell, The Times
This masterly survey charts the rise of the 'New' constitution and expertly explains both how it works and why it matters. Bogdanor is Dicey and Bagehot rolled into one for the twenty-first century. --Guy Lodge, Institute for Public Policy Research --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
This masterly survey charts the rise of the 'New' constitution and expertly explains both how it works and why it matters. Bogdanor is Dicey and Bagehot rolled into one for the twenty-first century. --Guy Lodge, Institute for Public Policy Research --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Description
The last decade has seen radical changes in the way we are governed. Reforms such as the Human Rights Act and devolution have led to the replacement of one constitutional order by another. This book is the first to describe and analyse Britain's new constitution, asking why it was that the old system, seemingly hallowed by time, came under challenge, and why it is being replaced. The Human Rights Act and the devolution legislation have the character of fundamental law. They in practice limit the rights of Westminster as a sovereign parliament, and establish a constitution which is quasi-federal in nature. The old constitution emphasised the sovereignty of Parliament. The new constitution, by contrast, emphasises the separation of powers, both territorially and at the centre of government. The aim of constitutional reformers has been to improve the quality of government. But the main weakness of the new constitution is that it does little to secure more popular involvement in politics. We are in the process of becoming a constitutional state, but not a popular constitutional state. The next phase of constitutional reform, therefore, is likely to involve the creation of new forms of democratic engagement, so that our constitutional forms come to be more congruent with the social and political forces of the age. The end-point of this piecemeal process might well be a fully codified or written constitution which declares that power stems not from the Queen-in Parliament, but, instead, as in so many constitutions, from `We, the People'. The old British constitution was analysed by Bagehot and Dicey. In this book Vernon Bogdanor charts the significance of what is coming to replace it. The expenses scandal shows up grave defects in the British constitution. Vernon Bogdanor shows how the constitution can be reformed and the political system opened up in`The New British Constitution'.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Many people in Britain might wonder why the possibility of a hung parliament poped suddenly up before the 2010 general election. If you have read this book, you are not surprised at all anymore. Although nobody seems to take notice, the old constitutional order of Britain is vanishing rapidely, while it is not yet clear what will follow. It would therefore be highly useful to have a public debate on how the British want to shape deliberately their future political system. However, strange enough, nobody except a few politicians from the minor parties seem to care.
The University of Oxford professor Vernon Bogdanor explaines in a clear, easy to read way what's going on and why this happens. There is no hope that the Conservatives under a seemingly ignorant David Cameron can restore the old order, as it has already gone under several constitutional changes by New Labour (Devolution!) and by the integration in die EU in the 1970s. So, lets talk about the new constitution! Bogdanor makes a brilliant start.
The University of Oxford professor Vernon Bogdanor explaines in a clear, easy to read way what's going on and why this happens. There is no hope that the Conservatives under a seemingly ignorant David Cameron can restore the old order, as it has already gone under several constitutional changes by New Labour (Devolution!) and by the integration in die EU in the 1970s. So, lets talk about the new constitution! Bogdanor makes a brilliant start.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Vernon Bogdanor is a wise man, and this wise book is well researched, thoughtfully argued, and written in a literate style which makes for an easy read. Bogdanor's thorough knowledge of the reasoning of the constitutional 'greats' underpins his explanations of the historical background and its relevance to the modern political imperatives which bring us to the cusp of a revolution in British constitutional history, the abandonment of the unwritten constitution and the recognition that sovereignty is finally residing in the people, not any longer the Queen in Parliament.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book gives a very thorough examination of all the issues. It is very complete and yet does not suffer from the dryness of some books. The book seems to centre on narrative and analysis rather than promoting an agenda or brash arguments. It is all the better for it. Highly recommended if you're interested in law, politics or history.
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