1
2 70 NATIONAL MUNICIPAL REVIEW The sweep of Owen’s generalizations is both daring and comprehemlive. They will be critkized mainly, I think, as being over-simplified. My own reserva- tion about the book (but not the im- portance of reading it) is not that it is too bold ibut, on the contrary, that it stops one ‘step short of the goal. The goal is to solve the metropolitan transportation problem. The major proposition is ithat transpontatian plan- ning and land development planning must be completely coordinated. The in- escapable final step must ‘be a recogni- tion of the need to integrate both phases of planning at the decision-making level. Yet Owen hangs back. He wants all the transportation functions collected in a single metropolitan agency, but he deprecates the idea of an even more in- clusive metropolitan agency with the power to perform (that final act of ia- tegration between transpontatim and land usage which \he so ardently desires. But then, the momentum of Owen’s logic carries the essential point, even though he fails to state it clearly. The Metropolitan Transportation Problem is an important book. HENRY FAGIN, Plunming Director Regional Plan Association Political Parties POLITICAL PARTY PATTERNS IN MICHI- GAN. By Stephen B. and Vera H. Sara- yohn. Detroit, Wayne S a t e University Press, 1957. x, 76 pp. $1.75. This covers very competently the somewhat bewildering movement of state party politics and forces in Michigan from the beginning of the century down through 1956 with its various changing leadership. It shows the state’s drift from strong Republican domination to a present split described as a Republican party largely dominated by the great automobile manufacturers and a Demo- cratic panty b i n a t e d in its primaries and conventions by organized labor, par- ticularly the CIO. The labter uses its reservoir of union personnel to run, under direction, for county convention delegateships and other internal panty positions. This economic cleavage and organiza- tion may not lbe unique among the states and it would be interesting to know if there are parallel conditions in metro- politan areas or statewide affairs else- where on such clear economic lines. The difference between Republican and Democratic principles and platforms is not easy to find in most of the states, nor is it very clear on a national basis these days. The condition of Michigan’s poli- tics. if correctly analyzed, may be pro- phetic and deserving of wider study throughout the country as a possible dTi5t toward a more meaningful cleavage. R.S.C. THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES. By William Goodman. Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nost- rand Company, Inc., 1956, xii, 649 pp. $6.00. This is an important newcomer in the list of texts on political parties. As its size suggests, it is exhaustive and heav- ily documented. It neglects history to picture our two national parties as they are today with their lhlky machinery, their clumsy procedures and the realities of power. All sides of issues are con- scientiously, and sometimes laboriously, quoted. The final chapters deal incon- clusively with current proposals of re- form including the report of the Ameri- can Political Science Association’s com- mittee of 1950 Toward a More Respon- sible Two-Party System. Central Business Districts THE CORE OF THE CITY: A Pilot Study of Changing Land Uses in Cen- tral Business Districts. By John Ran- nells. New York, Columbia University Press, 1956. xxix, 237 pp. $5.50. A method of examining the center or

The two-party system in the United States. By William Goodman. Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1956, xii, 649 pp. $6.00

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Page 1: The two-party system in the United States. By William Goodman. Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1956, xii, 649 pp. $6.00

2 70 NATIONAL MUNICIPAL REVIEW

The sweep of Owen’s generalizations is both daring and comprehemlive. They will be critkized mainly, I think, as being over-simplified. My own reserva- tion about the book (but not the im- portance of reading it) is not that it is too bold ibut, on the contrary, that it stops one ‘step short of the goal.

The goal is to solve the metropolitan transportation problem. The major proposition is ithat transpontatian plan- ning and land development planning must be completely coordinated. The in- escapable final step must ‘be a recogni- tion of the need to integrate both phases of planning at the decision-making level.

Yet Owen hangs back. H e wants all the transportation functions collected in a single metropolitan agency, but he deprecates the idea of an even more in- clusive metropolitan agency with the power to perform (that final act of ia- tegration between transpontatim and land usage which \he so ardently desires.

But then, the momentum of Owen’s logic carries the essential point, even though he fails to state it clearly. The Metropolitan Transportation Problem is an important book.

HENRY FAGIN, Plunming Director Regional Plan Association

Political Parties POLITICAL PARTY PATTERNS IN MICHI-

GAN. By Stephen B. and Vera H. Sara- yohn. Detroit, Wayne S a t e University Press, 1957. x, 76 pp. $1.75.

This covers very competently the somewhat bewildering movement of state party politics and forces in Michigan from the beginning of the century down through 1956 with its various changing leadership. I t shows the state’s drift from strong Republican domination to a present split described as a Republican party largely dominated by the great automobile manufacturers and a Demo- cratic panty b i n a t e d in its primaries and conventions by organized labor, par-

ticularly the CIO. The labter uses its reservoir of union personnel to run, under direction, for county convention delegateships and other internal panty positions.

This economic cleavage and organiza- tion may not lbe unique among the states and it would be interesting to know if there are parallel conditions in metro- politan areas or statewide affairs else- where on such clear economic lines.

The difference between Republican and Democratic principles and platforms is not easy to find in most of the states, nor is it very clear on a national basis these days. The condition of Michigan’s poli- tics. if correctly analyzed, may be pro- phetic and deserving of wider study throughout the country as a possible dTi5t toward a more meaningful cleavage.

R.S.C. THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IN THE

UNITED STATES. By William Goodman. Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nost- rand Company, Inc., 1956, xii, 649 pp. $6.00.

This is an important newcomer in the list of texts on political parties. As its size suggests, it is exhaustive and heav- ily documented. I t neglects history to picture our two national parties as they are today with their lhlky machinery, their clumsy procedures and the realities of power. All sides of issues are con- scientiously, and sometimes laboriously, quoted. The final chapters deal incon- clusively with current proposals of re- form including the report of the Ameri- can Political Science Association’s com- mittee of 1950 Toward a More Respon- sible Two-Party System.

Central Business Districts THE CORE OF THE CITY: A Pilot

Study of Changing Land Uses in Cen- tral Business Districts. By John Ran- nells. New York, Columbia University Press, 1956. xxix, 237 pp. $5.50.

A method of examining the center or