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Not only does a bureaucracy tend to under-government in point of quality it tends to over-government in point of quantity.

Walter Bagehot

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Walter Bagehot
Age: 51 †
Born: 1826
Born: February 3
Died: 1877
Died: March 24
Businessperson
Economist
Engineer
Journalist
Political Scientist
Politician
Sociologist
Langport
Somerset
Quantity
Tend
Quality
Point
Doe
Government
Bureaucracy
Tends

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A princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.
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The characteristic merit of the English constitutions is, that its dignified parts are very complicated and somewhat imposing, very old and rather venerable, while its efficient part, at least when in great and critical action, is decidedly simple and modern.
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No real English gentleman, in his secret soul, was ever sorry for the death of a political economist.
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Credit means that a certain confidence is given, and a certain trust reposed. Is that trust justified? And is that confidence wise? These are the cardinal questions. To put it more simply credit is a set of promises to pay will those promises be kept?
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History is strewn with the wrecks of nations which have gained a little progressiveness at the cost of a great deal of hard manliness, and have thus prepared themselves for destruction as soon as the movements of the world have a chance for it.
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The essence of Toryism is enjoyment?but as far as communicating and establishing your creed are concernedtrya little pleasure. The way to keep up old customs is, to enjoy old customs the way to be satisfied with the present state of things is, to enjoy that state of things.
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A political country is like an American forest you have only to cut down the old trees, and immediately new trees come up to replace them.
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A schoolmaster should have an atmosphere of awe, and walk wonderingly, as if he was amazed at being himself.
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When great questions end, little parties begin.
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The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.
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Most men of business think Anyhow this system will probably last my time. It has gone on a long time, and is likely to go on still.
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A constitutional statesman is in general a man of common opinions and uncommon abilities.
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A Parliament is nothing less than a big meeting of more or less idle people.
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An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.
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The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything.
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Women--one half the human race at least--care fifty times more for a marriage than a ministry.
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The whole history of civilization is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards
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The caucus is a sort of representative meeting which sits voting and voting till they have cut out all the known men against whom much is to be said, and agreed on some unknown man against whom there is nothing known, and therefore nothing to be alleged.
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Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their contemporaries thought dreamers - who were laughed at for caring for what did not concern them - who, as the proverb went, 'walked into a well from looking at the stars' - who were believed to be useless, if anyone could be such.
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