Book Reviews : The Future of Political Science. By HAROLD D. LASSWELL. (New York: Atherton Press, 1963. Pp. x, 256. $6.50.)

• Author: John A. Schutz
• Published date: 01 December 1964
• Date: 01 December 1964
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/106591296401700448
• Subject Matter: Articles

837
There are disadvantages to this approach. Professor Kelson is not as inclusive
in his treatment of the private member as he might have been. He is not concerned
with the influences working on the individual member’s decision-making process or
the informal rules of the game (assuming there are some) which influence the dis-
tribution of power in the Parliament. He does not trace the career patterns of the
legislators nor does he systematically analyze the members’ social characteristics or
their influence on the policy output. He is content with brief treatments of the rela-
tion of the legislator to his constituents and to the press.
The author approaches his subject matter through a detailed description of the
formal institutions within which the private member operates, and the opportunities
given him within these organizations effectively to influence public policy. Professor
Kelson concentrates on the legal structure of the two major parties (both the legisla-
tive and extra-legislative parties) and the Parliament. In discussing the internal
workings of the New Zealand General Assembly, the author concentrates on the busi-
ness time allotted private members, the opportunities extended them for debate,
their activities on committees, and their independence in voting. The author makes
good use of brief case studies to clarify the intricacies of the policy-making process
and to illustrate the role of the private member.
The author finds that while the private member can influence policy, he has
failed to exploit fully the tools at his disposal. The potential of the question period,
for example, has not been realized. The author concludes that while the legislative
role of the backbencher may be declining, other aspects of his position may become
more prominent. In particular, the private member may increasingly become a
&dquo;community agent&dquo; -
an advocate of local and regional constituency desires and a
link between the voters and the central...