Book Reviews : Congressmen and Their Constituencies. By LEWIS A. FROMAN, JR. (Chicago: Rand- McNally & Co., 1963. Pp. xv,127. $4.75.)

• DOI: 10.1177/106591296401700435
• Date: 01 December 1964
• Published date: 01 December 1964
• Author: Charles G. Bell
• Subject Matter: Articles

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administrative developments and forms were evolving, but with some similarities and
differences in every state; e.g., the prefectoral system had been established in all states
except Sicily and Sardinia; the Neapolitan intendant had a sweeping grant of au-
thority unlike his counterpart in Piedmont.
A much clearer picture as to what was going on appears in the second chapter
-
the United Kingdom of Italy, 1859-70. Major discussions here are on the initial
tendency toward administrative decentralization and the gradual triumph of cen-
tralization. The controversy over prefectoral power in the 1860’s is handled well with
a pointing up of the result (a prefect weaker than either the Neapolitan intendant or
the Napoleonic prefect) and the reasons why this particular system emerged. Chap-
ter 3 covers the period from 1870 to 1922 and is devoted to the prefectoral system
and the state field services. There is a fascinating account of the political roles of
the prefect under various governments: to attain parliamentary majorities, to execute
repressive government policies, to manage elections, to manipulate local government,
and how used for different purposes in the South vis-h-vis the North. Fascist force
finally brought about the collapse of the machinery.
Fried is at his best in telling how the Fascists rebuilt the prefectoral system to
serve their political purposes while dispersing administrative authority. Under fas-
cism the prefects reached a zenith in power and prestige. Ever since, the institution
has had its critics, although today prefects remain the essential instrument of central
control. Equally good is the chapter on the Republic period with discussion on the
problems of regionalism and the interrelationships between the prefect and the state
field services. This modern material is first-rate and based on field research. A
chap-
ter of general conclusions sets forth the main traits of prefectoral systems, the differ-
ent types (by structure, origins,...