Book Reviews: Administration of National Economic Control. By EMMETTE S. REDFORD. (New York: The Macmillan Company. 1952. Pp. xvii, 402. $6.00.)
| Published date | 01 December 1952 |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591295200500459 |
| Date | 01 December 1952 |
| Author | Marver Bernstein |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
726
Administration
of
National
Economic
Control.
By
EMMETTE
S.
REDFORD.
(New
York:
The
Macmillan
Company.
1952.
Pp.
xvii,
402.
$6.00.)
The
aim
of
this
important
study
is
to
describe
and
analyze
the
admit- -
istrative
system
at
the
national
level
for
the
control
of
economic
life.
The
book
represents
an
effort
to
examine
some
of
the
key
problems
facing
government
and
society
in
the
regulation
of
economic
affairs.
The
author
has
consciously
avoided
discussion
of
substantive
policy
issues
and
has
instead
centered
the
discussion
on
the
mechanics
of
national
economic
control,
that
is,
&dquo;on
the
institutional
framework
within
which
substantive
action
is
taken.&dquo;
Administration
is
defined
to
include
&dquo;all
the
work
of
the
branches
of
government
except
that
done
in
Congress,
the
courts,
and
some
of
the
work
done
by
the
President
and
his
political
aides
and
subordinates.&dquo;
Control
is
seen
rightly
as
closely
intertwined
with
service
and
promotion.
The
author
regards
administration
&dquo;as
a
system
of
decision
and
action
for
getting
government
jobs
done.&dquo;
Attention
is
focused
on
the
following
questions:
&dquo;what
techniques
are
available
and
what
problems
of
structure
and
operation
are
faced
in
the
effort
to
control
private
economic
activity
through
public
administrative
agencies?&dquo;
Chapters
dealing
with
the
nature
of
the
administrative
process
and
the
tools
and
techniques
of
economic
control
are
not
very
successful
in
conveying
a
sense
of
process
in
governmental
regulation
of
business
enter-
prise.
While
individual
sections
are
well
written
and
clear,
they
do
not
seem
to
be
related
to
any
identifiable
concept
of
the
nature
of
the
regulatory
process.
The
classifications
are
reminiscent
of
Freund,
Blachly
and
Oatman,
and
Hart,
and
are
presented
in
a
formalistic
way.
Numerous
questions
are
included,
usually
at
the
end
of
a
discussion,
which
seem
far
more
interesting
than
the
material
in
the
body
of
the
chapters.
This
gives
the
impression
that
the
author
has
left
the
most
interesting
and
significant
material
undeveloped.
For
example,
the
ability
of
Congress
to
state
regulatory
objectives
clearly
in
the
statutes
is
mentioned
as
crucial,
but
congressional
capacity
in
this
regard
is
not
analyzed.
The
political
responsi-
bility
of
the
administrative
head
for
procuring
support
at
all
levels
is
not
developed.
The
discussion
of
tools,
techniques,
and
methods
is
largely
a
discussion
of
statutory
and
administrative
powers
not
directly
related
to
operating
problems.
Victor
Thompson’s
suggestive
concept
of
&dquo;regula-
tion
by
impedimenta&dquo;
is
not
used.
The
discussion
of
sanctions
to
enforce
regulations
omits
all
but
a
passing
reference
to
problems
growing
out
of
the
relationship
of
regulatory
agencies
to
the
Department
of
Justice.
Research
and
planning
are
not
treated
as
techniques
of
administration.
The
chapter
on
operating
methods
deals
almost
exclusively
with
the
process
of
adjudication
and
not
with
operations
involving
more
informal
methods
of
case
disposition
and
settlement
of
problems,
even
though
it is
the
latter
rather
than
the
former
which
comprise
the
bulk
of
regulatory
activity.
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