The volume reviewed here is co-authored by Wisconsin journalist John Keefe, a former Illinois legislative staff intern.

Great Lakes begins with an overview of the region as a whole. Separate chapters then deal with each of the five states. The overview chapter gives a depressing summary of the region's economy and environment, tempered somewhat by reports of improved water quality in the Great Lakes. The authors also summarize the political condition of the region; unfortunately, they rely on the dated work of John Fenton. Thus Wisconsin and Michigan are described as progressive and issue-oriented while the other three states are described as patronage-oriented with issueless politics. To this reviewer, such descriptions oversimplify a complex set of political systems in this group of complex states.

The authors analyze "the people, politics, and power" in each state. The result is somewhat uneven. For example, considerable attention is given to the University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. A lot less attention is given to the other public institutions, including the University of Illinois. In fact, higher education in Illinois is criticized: "Sadly, however, the state has taken a provincial attitude toward student recruitment, and the schools lack the national and international student bodies that characterize the universities of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California." Not all Illinois academicians would agree with this assessment.

The authors soften the statement somewhat when they say, "by most modern day progressive standards, Illinois state government has few innovations or accomplishments to be proud of. The exception is in higher education. Although the state's per capita expenditure for higher education is almost 10 percent under the national average, the University of Illinois [sic] system of 10 universities and 39 community colleges stands out as one of the country's finest in many disciplines." Except for the error in fact about there being a University of Illinois system, this is a statement that Illinois residents can be proud of.

Of most interest to readers of Illinois Issues is the 75-page chapter on Illinois, with 53 pages devoted to Chicago and its environs and the remainder to "Downstate." To give some indication of the flavor of the Illinois chapter, the subhead for Chicago is "Where Clout Counts" and for Downstate, "Politics of Party, Patronage, and Corruption." The chapter is written in typical journalistic style with bad guys and good guys. The former dominate.

The comments on the 1970 Constitution have been revised since the chapter that appeared in Megastates in 1972. At that time, Pierce said, "the new document was not a terribly distinguished piece of work." The elimination of this statement is a welcome change, given the document's decade of valuable service.

Overall, one wishes the Illinois chapter were more positive; but, outsiders see things differently. In the book's bibliography most of the standard works are cited, including magazines and newspaper articles, and the "persons interviewed" are a good cross sampling of Illinois scholars, citizens and political leaders.

Despite the above-mentioned shortcomings, the overall assessment of this volume is positive. Along with its companion volumes, it is a valuable resource for students of state government. Together they update the Inside USA series by John Gun-ther, which served us so well for so long.

Incidentally, readers of Illinois Issues will be glad to know that it is "the state's fine foundation-sponsored political magazine." The authors cite several articles from it.

Samuel K. Gove is director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, and professor of political science, University of Illinois.

April 1981/Illinois Issues/24