Our tragic crisis of dignity: We had better recover dignity fast—starting in the White House

Walter Bagehot, author of the authoritative 1867 book, The English Constitution, argued that the British government consisted of two essential parts—the dignified and the efficient. Bagehot defined the monarchy as the dignified part of government, and the monarch’s function was to embody and exemplify the dignity that is essential to social order. The dignified part of the government provided the authority and stability of the realm, setting an example for all people, regardless of social rank,