English Constitution | The principle of balanced government

English Constitution

Jean Louis de Lolme. The Constitution of England, or an Account of the English Government; In Which It Is Compared with the Republican Form of Government, and Occasionally with the Other Monarchies in Europe. London: Printed by T. Spilsbury and Sold by G. Kearsley, 1775

8vo (210 X 127 mm). Marginal discoloration to title-page, loss to lower right corner of Yy2 not affecting text, bottom margin of 3L4 lightly discolored. Contemporary calf, spine with raised bands, red lettering piece, edges stained red; worn, joints repaired, lower board detached, losses to spine.

De Lolme advocated a constitutional form of government based on the principle of balanced government, balancing the one, the few, and the many, or the ideas of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. He also praised the element of representative democracy in the constitution, and urged an extension of suffrage. De Lolme's account of the English system of government exercised an extensive influence on political debate in Britain and on constitutional design during the Founding era in the United States.

REFERENCE:

ESTC T109935 (var. 2, with no errata on the final page)