Legislatures in Development: Dynamics of Change in New and Old States. Edited by Smith Joel and Musolf Lloyd D.. (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1979. Pp. xvi + 407. $19.75.)

This is not just another textbook on West German politics. Instead, Gordon Smith has written a tightly argued interpretation of the West German polity focusing on the pivotal role of the political parties in it. With this emphasis, Smith follows Lehmbruch, Hennis and others who have advanced the concept of the "party state" to capture the distinctive nature of West German politics. He argues that the political parties that established themselves after 1945 are largely responsible for the development and present shape of the political system. Smith is most concerned with the new political forms and practices that emerged after 1949, but the fact that he never loses sight of historical continuities and traditions is one of the strong points of his interpretation.