The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939 Page: 169
446 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
ught to be led to emphasize "understanding" without neglecting
learning," he chooses to stress "analysis and explanation, rather
Lan description" and to "treat fundamental differences between
Lmerican and English government, so far as possible, in terms of
,rinciple." He admits that there is inherent in this approach
the risk of some appearance of superficiality." However, "where
imerican practice has not departed fundamentally from its English
nheritance, as for example in connection with the judiciary and
ocal government, the advantages of comparison appear to be some-
~hat different" and he aims at a treatment more fully descriptive.
If there is more emphasis on principle and less on fact, there is
io radical departure from other texts with respect to organization
)f material. Of the five parts into which the text is divided, the
irst three contain seven chapters and occupy eighty-nine pages.
Elere are briefly examined the land, the population, British na-
;ionality and citizenship, suffrage in the past and today, political
party history, programmes and organizations, and the nature, origin
mnd development of the English constitution. The fourth part is
)rganized in three sections containing eight chapters and deals
with the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary of the central
government, to which approximately half of the text is devoted.
Both the formal and the real executive are discussed, the latter
in turn being divided into the policy-determining agencies and
the civil service. The structure, functions, and powers of Parlia-
ment together with a chapter on imperial relations follow, and a
discussion of administration of justice concludes this part. The
fifth part covers approximately fifty pages and is given over to
the examination of local communities and their agencies, and the
functions, activities, and powers of local government.
The book contains no illustrations other than a map of the
British Isles and has few footnote references, although a biblio-
graphical note acquaints the student with certain worth-while
works. It appears to be well indexed.
The author must be commended for his balanced presentation
of the material within the limits of brevity which he has set up,
and for his effort to arrive at a more effective combination of
fact end principle. Although, as he points out, "it would be a
miracle if many teachers did not discover fault to find," teachers
can well afford to consider this text if they are confronted with169
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939, periodical, 1939; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101107/m1/183/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.