184 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

of other parties in the Government." The Government's
programme would be arranged by bargaining. "We will agree
to this if you will agree to that*'; and in this atmosphere principles
and the will of the people are likely to be forgotten.

The fierceness of party strife is not determined by the method
of voting but by the problems which the country faces. When,
as in Germany after 1930, economic distress is acute and the
only apparent remedies involve the sacrifice of the interests of
one section or another, then the conflict becomes bitter. The
Governments produced by Germany's Proportional Representa-
tion system were unable, being Coalitions, to pursue a consistent,
determined policy which would win popular support; and in
the general confusion the liberty of the German people, and
the security of Europe, vanished. If it is a virtue in Proportional
Representation that it checks extremism, it is a vice that it
encourages delay. When great difficulties have to be faced the
people will forgive much extremism to get a Government which
can act boldly and quickly; if a Proportional Representation
system hinders them, they are likely to throw aside self-
government.

(4) The grouping of electors into geographical constituencies
is criticised as unreal by those who advocate functional
constituencies, grouping the electors not according to their
dwelling but to their work. On this plan, miners, shipbuilders,
teachers, and all other workers would elect representatives from
their own ranks and 'the Parliament would be the combination
of these groups. Every Member, it is urged, would thus have
expert knowledge of some occupation; to-day .the candidate
appeals to electors of many different occupations and may be
able to impress them simply by his talk and manner, without
any real knowledge. But the present Parliament is by no means
composed of such people. Some there are, no doubt, who possess
little knowledge of any kind; on the other hand, scarcely any
problem arises on which there are not some Members with
expert knowledge. Among the Conservative Members are many