The Reorganization of State Government1

The oft quoted remark of James Bryce concerning the government of American cities was certainly justified insofar as it condemned our American city government. To the extent, however, that it seemed to imply a recognition of the successful operation of our state governments it would appear to be in need of considerable limitation. Indeed there is evidence to show that the defects of our state organization made themselves pretty generally felt even before the evils of our city administration were recognized, and constitutional changes looking toward remedying those defects were undertaken before any serious attention was given to the consideration of municipal problems.On the other hand, it is true that once the evils in our American municipal system were recognized a more comprehensive, wide-spread, and successful campaign has been waged against them than has even been inaugurated against the manifest defects in our state governments. It is no exaggeration to say that today there are immeasurably more persons seriously and actively engaged in the cause of good city government than there are persons interested in the same effective way in improving our state governmental machinery. There are, of course, several good reasons why one would expect this to be the case, but our prime interest is sufficiently served by pointing out the fact without going into an examination of the explanation.