3 ms·
This is a great example of the power of norms and conventions. As sibling says, Erskine May in the UK bans tendentious titles. It's not a statutory restriction
by pmyteh 8y ago
This is a great example of the power of norms and conventions. As sibling says, Erskine May in the UK bans tendentious titles. It's not a statutory restriction and could be easily overturned by the House of Commons if it wanted. But no government has had the HoC do that, partly through inertia and partly because that government would then face partisan bill titles when next in opposition. So the convention endures.
The British constitution is, in some ways, built on conventions like this. It changes the calculus from legal to normative, and allows a sustainable banning of cute names even though, as you say, it can't be done in a binding way even in principle.
- InitialLastName 8y agoThe US used to work that way, but it appears that the norms of liberal democracy were a casualty of our advancing partisanship over the last ~9 presidential administrations.
- dragonwriter 8y ago> This is a great example of the power of norms and conventions. I agree. My main point was that legislation can't be the source of the fix; if you can engineer an independently-durable change in norms first, legislation can memorialize it and reinforce it, but a momentary majority can't establish it in a way that is resistant to the next momentary majority brushing it away.