Book Reviews and Notices : The American Democracy. BY HAROLD J. LASKI. (New York: The Viking Press. 1948. Pp. x, 785. $6.50.)

• Published date: 01 September 1948
• Date: 01 September 1948
• DOI: 10.1177/106591294800100317
• Author: Thomas I. Cook
• Subject Matter: Articles

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The questions which inevitably arise from such a proposal, un-
fortunately, are left undiscussed.
The distinctive contribution of Mr. Rosenfarb to the literature on
planning is his effort to place his discussion of the administrative state in a
context of political and psychological theory. The nature of man, of
power, of organization, of leadership, and of freedom, the origin and de-
velopment of the state, and the relation of government to law, are all
discussed with the view to the problems of the administrative state and the
political reforms it will require, and in a way which indicates a wide
familiarity with the current literature on these topics.
In his political theory, however, he places great emphasis on the state
as organized power and as an instrument of action, and he tends to ignore
those problems of political organization which give rise to our constitutional
tradition of restraints on political power. He has a faith in the wisdom,
integrity, and impartiality of government agencies which is frightening
when related to the problem of civil liberties. To deal with some of the
present day issues in this area he proposes, among other things, a Board of
Dissemination of Public Information to insure that the public knows the
truth, and the elimination of sectarian schools to be followed by the subse-
quent integration of religious teaching with our public school system in order
to establish a common culture and to eliminate religious prejudice.
The overall impression is that Mr. Rosenfarb has accepted un-
critically the view that government must act positively in every field where
our society faces difficulties. The administrative state has become for him
a philosopher’s stone which can turn the dross of human confusion and
conflict into a golden age of coordinated freedom.
CHARLES R. NIXON.
University of California at Los Angeles.
The American Democracy. BY HAROLD J. LASKI. (New York: The Viking
Press. 1948. Pp. x, 785. $6.50.)
The American Democracy...