Walter Bagehot

Walter Bagehot (/ˈbædʒət/ ba-jət; 3 February 1826 – 24 March 1877) was a British journalist, businessman, and essayist, who wrote extensively about government, economics, and literature.

Journalism

In 1855, Bagehot founded the National Review with his friend Richard Holt Hutton.

In 1860, he became editor-in-chief of The Economist.

In the seventeen years he served as its editor, Bagehot expanded The Economist's reporting on politics and increased its influence among policymakers.

Works

In 1867, Bagehot wrote The English Constitution, a book that explores the nature of the constitution of the United Kingdom, specifically its Parliament and monarchy. It appeared at the same time that Parliament enacted the Reform Act of 1867, requiring Bagehot to write an extended introduction to the second edition which appeared in 1872.

In Physics and Politics (1872), in which he examines how civilizations sustain themselves, arguing that in their earliest phase civilizations are very much in opposition to the values of modern liberalism, insofar as they are sustained by conformism and military success, but once they are secured it is possible for them to mature into systems which allow for greater diversity and freedom.

In Lombard Street: A Description of the Money Market (1873) Bagehot seeks to explain the world of finance and banking.

External links

• Walter Bagehot @ Wikipedia