Northumbria University's Professor Tony Badger to Deliver Lecture on "Gridlock in Washington and the US Constitution"

Northumbria’s newest appointment in history and American Studies, the esteemed Professor Tony Badger, will be delivering a lecture on “Gridlock in Washington and the US Constitution.”  Badger, the former Paul Mellon Professor of American History, Cambridge University, will be joining other well known scholars on Thursday November 20 at the Legatum Institute in London for an event titled “Magna Carta—800 Years On.”

The Legatum Institute summarizes the commemoration as follows:

In anticipation of the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, the Legatum Institute is pleased to host a roundtable seminar exploring why some constitutions take root and flourish, while others wither and die. Different sessions will examine how constitutional thought and practice, although operating in circumstances that vary widely, seek to secure the freedom and dignity of the individual.

Questions posed, discussed, and debated include:

Is a constitution worth the paper it's written on? ‘The Constitution of Freedom: Why some constitutions succeed—while others fail' is a half-day conference on the international history of constitutions. Speakers include Vernon Bogdanor, Research Professor, Institute for Contemporary British History at King’s College.

The Legatum Institute is:

a charitable public policy think-tank whose mission is to help people lead more prosperous lives. The Institute defines prosperity as wellbeing, not just wealth. Its Legatum Prosperity Index™ assesses a wide range of indicators including education, health, social capital, entrepreneurship and personal freedom to rank 142 countries. Published annually, the Index has become an essential tool for governments around the world.