Vernon Bogdanor

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Vernon Bogdanor CBE, FBA (born 1943) is professor of government at Oxford University, England, and a Fellow of Brasenose College. He is one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues. He is an advocate of constitutional reform including proportional representation, but supports the retention of the monarchy.

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[edit] Career

Educated at Bishopshalt School, Professor Bogdanor gained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (with congratulatory First Class honours) from The Queen's College, Oxford. He has been Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford, since 1966, where he has been Senior Tutor (1979-85 and 1996-97), Vice-Principal, and (in 2002-03) Acting Principal. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies, and in 1998 was awarded the CBE for contributions to constitutional history.

He has been a Member of Council of The Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government, Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Member of the Court of Essex University, Adviser (as a member of the Council of Europe and American Bar Association delegations) to the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel and Slovakia on constitutional and electoral reform, Member of the Academic Panel of Local Authority Associations, Member of the The Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process, Member of the UK Government delegation on Democratic Institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and Conference on the Protection of Minorities, Consultant to Independent Television News (ITN) on the General Election, Member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s committee administering the 'Whitehall' programme, Special Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on the Public Services, Member of the Swedish Constitutional Reform Project, Member of the Advisory Group to the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Adviser to the President of Trinidad on the Constitution of Trinidad, and Member of the ESRC's committee administering the Devolution programme.

Professor Bogdanor is a frequent contributor to TV, radio and newspapers. In 2004 he gave public lectures as professor of law at Gresham College, London. He has published numerous books and articles. In 2003, he edited The British Constitution in the 20th Century (published by Oxford University Press to mark the centenary of the British Academy) and has two publications planned for 2004 and 2005: The Governance of Britain (Allen Lane/Penguin Books) and Holistic Government (Oxford University Press for the British Academy).

Professor Bogdanor is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society, a think tank based in Cambridge. The society advocates a pro-active approach to the spread of liberal democracy throughout the world, including by military force where necessary.

[edit] Famous students

Professor Bogdanor's most famous former student is the current Conservative Party leader David Cameron whom he has described as "one of the ablest" students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible Conservative" [1]. Professor Bogdanor has, however, expressed reservations about certain policies of Cameron's, notably his proposal for a British "Bill of Rights", about which Bogdanor said, "I believe it's ill thought-out and confused ... He [Cameron] may have forgotten some of the things I've taught him. I'd be happy to give him a few more tutorials on civil liberties." [2].

[edit] Books

  • Constitutions in democratic politics
  • Devolution in the United Kingdom
  • Joined up government
  • The monarchy and the constitution
  • What is Proportional Representation?
  • Power and the people: Guide to constitutional reform

[edit] See also

[edit] External links