19671 BOOKS IN REVIEW 369 Boob m Review . . . Jewel Brllwh, Editor Constitutions CITIZENS UNION POSITION PAPERS- 16 REPRESENTATIONS TO THE NEW YORK CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. Citizens Union, 5 Beekman Street, New York 10039, 1967. 40 pp. $2.00. A committee of the Citizens Union, headed by the undersigned, has presented these sixteen position papers to the 182 members of the constitutional convention which began its sessions on April 4. The titles include “Reapportionment by Pro- cedures Outside the Legislature,” “A New Simplified Constitution,” “Fumble- foot Representation,” a plea for a uni- cameral legislature and five papers pro- posing reform in the judiciary. These last include support for a model judiciary article, developed on the basis of the Missouri Plan by the Institute of Judi- cial Administration of New York Uni- versity. They were also endorsed by the League of Women Voters of New York State and the Committee for Modern Courts. R.S.C. Reapportionment THE EFFECTS OF MALAPPORTIONMENT ON POLICY OUTPUT IN THE AMJWCAN STATES. By David Brady and Douglas Edmonds. Laboratory for Political Re- search, Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1966. 32 pp. Tables. This rather interesting paper raps the reformers for their claims that malapportionment has had an adverse effect upon state policies. The authors statistically show that such claims simply are not valid. Interestingly enough, however, they make the comparison between states- that is, they take a “well apportioned” state and pit its policy output against a “malapportioned” state. Rarely did reformers ever do, or pretend to do, that. What they claimed was that there would be a policy change within a state if it were to be reapportioned. Few would doubt that many of the more zealous reformers claimed too much for the change that would take place, but the arguments (and statistics) presented here do not even touch their fundamental premise. Secondly, in selecting the “well apportioned” states, they seemed to ignore the fact that at the time of Baker v. Carr (and these are the statistics they use), the “well apportioned” state was a rarity indeed. In fact, all 50 states have had to make some adjustment since Baker; so what the Iowa professors have done is to compare differing degrees of malapportionment. Comparisons between the old and new legislature in a reapportioned state (and after five or more years experience has been compiled) will probably produce a much more valid answer to the question of how right the reformers were than will this study. W. J.D.B. State, Local Government THE 50 STATES AND THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. By Karl A. Bosworth, James W. Fesler, Dayton D. McKean, Harvey C. Mansfield, Robert L. Morlan, Allan R. Richards, Victor G. Rosenblum and York Wilbern. Edited by James W. Fesler. Alfred A. Knopf, 501 Madison Avenue, New York 10022, 1967. xviii, 615 pp. Maps, charts and tables. $8.50. This is an unusually important addi- tion to the literature of state and local government, I t will not only provide an excellent basic text for courses in state government, but it also should be con- sidered “must” reading for political practitioners and scholars with an in-

Citizens union position papers 16 representations to the New York constitutional convention. Citizens Union, 5 Beekman Street, New York 10039, 1967. 40 pp. $2.00

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Page 1: Citizens union position papers 16 representations to the New York constitutional convention. Citizens Union, 5 Beekman Street, New York 10039, 1967. 40 pp. $2.00

19671 BOOKS IN REVIEW 369

Boob m Review . . . Jewel Brllwh, Editor

Constitutions CITIZENS UNION POSITION PAPERS-

16 REPRESENTATIONS TO THE NEW YORK CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. Citizens Union, 5 Beekman Street, New York 10039, 1967. 40 pp. $2.00.

A committee of the Citizens Union, headed by the undersigned, has presented these sixteen position papers to the 182 members of the constitutional convention which began its sessions on April 4. The titles include “Reapportionment by Pro- cedures Outside the Legislature,” “A New Simplified Constitution,” “Fumble- foot Representation,” a plea for a uni- cameral legislature and five papers pro- posing reform in the judiciary. These last include support for a model judiciary article, developed on the basis of the Missouri Plan by the Institute of Judi- cial Administration of New York Uni- versity. They were also endorsed by the League of Women Voters of New York State and the Committee for Modern Courts.

R.S.C.

Reapportionment THE EFFECTS OF MALAPPORTIONMENT

ON POLICY OUTPUT IN THE AMJWCAN STATES. By David Brady and Douglas Edmonds. Laboratory for Political Re- search, Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1966. 32 pp. Tables.

This rather interesting paper raps the reformers for their claims that malapportionment has had an adverse effect upon state policies. The authors statistically show that such claims simply are not valid. Interestingly enough, however, they make the comparison between states- that is, they take a “well apportioned” state and pit its policy output against a “malapportioned” state. Rarely did re-

formers ever do, or pretend to do, that. What they claimed was that there would be a policy change within a state if it were to be reapportioned. Few would doubt that many of the more zealous reformers claimed too much for the change that would take place, but the arguments (and statistics) presented here do not even touch their fundamental premise.

Secondly, in selecting the “well apportioned” states, they seemed to ignore the fact that a t the time of Baker v. Carr (and these are the statistics they use), the “well apportioned” state was a rarity indeed. In fact, all 50 states have had to make some adjustment since Baker; so what the Iowa professors have done is to compare differing degrees of malapportionment.

Comparisons between the old and new legislature in a reapportioned state (and after five or more years experience has been compiled) will probably produce a much more valid answer to the question of how right the reformers were than will this study.

W. J.D.B.

State, Local Government THE 50 STATES AND THEIR LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS. By Karl A. Bosworth, James W. Fesler, Dayton D. McKean, Harvey C. Mansfield, Robert L. Morlan, Allan R. Richards, Victor G. Rosenblum and York Wilbern. Edited by James W. Fesler. Alfred A. Knopf, 501 Madison Avenue, New York 10022, 1967. xviii, 615 pp. Maps, charts and tables. $8.50.

This is an unusually important addi- tion to the literature of state and local government, I t will not only provide an excellent basic text for courses in state government, but it also should be con- sidered “must” reading for political practitioners and scholars with an in-