The chronic dissatisfaction with representative institutions makes this chronicle of the development of the English parliament, from its beginnings in the thirteenth century to the outbreak of the civil wars in the seventeenth century, a most timely work for every student of history and government.

In this book George L. Haskins is primarily interested in singling out the persistent currents in English society and government in order to show shy the representative feature of parliament became its significant feature. He emphasizes the influence of the Catholic Church, the importance of compulsory self-government, and the importance of judicial procedure in the evolution of parliament.

Continental Europe has witnessed the repudiation of representative institutions in several countries. Elsewhere, particularly in England and the United States, there has been a growing conviction that the parliamentary system is ill suited to present world conditions. To many, as they look into the shadow of tomorrow, the vital question—brought to sharp focus in this book—is whether representative institutions can be adapted to the needs of these turbulent times.