Canada and the Reagan Challenge: Crisis in the Canadian-American Relationship (review)

BOOK REVIEWS 233 next cycle may then take over from one of the fringes of the previous cycle. If this is correct, then one has to explore in more depth the sources of disappointment and involvement. There have been variations in the amount of disappointment experienced in different societies at different times; there have been variations in the level of involvement and the duration of involvement in different societies. These variations cannot be explained simply on the basis of the existence of cycles. Indeed, they require a specification concerning the nature of the organizational network of a specific society and the type and quality of its organizational density. From this point of view, Hirschman's discussion of the vote is singularly unappreciative of the realities of most Western European countries. In these societies the vote is, ofcourse, an important act, but it is also tied with a series of other political activities. It is preceded by a certain amount of involvement in party activities, direct and indirect, and it is followed by other participatory activities. The links relating the voters to their parties seem to be at work notwithstanding the great outpouring of books on the crisis of parties. In Western Europe, the organizational density of society is such that it may act as a buffer against too swift a transition from public involvement to private interests. On the whole, while Hirschman's analysis is stimulating and often illuminating, his case needs to be strengthened and refined, particularly in light of contemporary experience. It seems that Western citizens might move toward a better, more satisfactory integration of their private interests and their public involvement. While a perfect balance might never be reached, the spread of the oscillation will be more limited. This phenomenon then requires more attention to the details and complexities of individual, group, and national motivations that lead to a comprehensive theory of collective behavior. Hirschman has the knowledge and the intellectual curiosity to make significant steps in that direction. Canada and the Reagan Challenge: CrisL· in the Canadian-American Refotionship. By Stephen Clarkson. Toronto: James Lorimer & Co., 1982. Reviewed by Joel J. Sokolsky. Although written for a Canadian audience, this is an important book for Americans concerned about U.S. foreign policy, particularly as it involves relations with allies and major trading partners. There is a sense in Canada today that the United States is determined to pursue its own interests across a broad range of issues regardless of the effect these actions have north of the border. It is essential for informed Americans to understand that while Washington is necessarily preoccupied with policies and problems throughout the world, Ottawa is preoccupied with its "American" policies and problems. Regardless of whether American officials share the intensity of concern for the bilateral relationship felt by their Canadian counterparts , the very existence ofserious apprehensions about the relationship in Canada ought to compel the U.S. government to give a higher priority to policy toward Canada than has been common in the past. Canada is an important country for the United States—its largest trading partner, closest ally, and, in ways that are more than merely rhetorical, one of America's best friends. 234 SAIS REVIEW Clarkson's book is a good place to begin to understand what is troubling Canadians . It is an extremely useful review of the major issues on the bilateral agenda, and the reasons why they are important to Canada. The problem of acid rain, the failure of the United States to ratify the East Coast Fisheries Treaty, the delay in the completion of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, American objections to Canadian investment and energy policies, and defense questions—all are clearly set forth. As a catalogue of outstanding difficulties, Canada and the Reagan Challenge could serve President Reagan well as a briefing paper for his next meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau. But if Clarkson's account of the major bilateral issues from a Canadian perspective is useful for Americans, his analysis of the broader underlying meaning of those issues in the context of overall American policy toward Canada leaves a great deal to be desired. As well, his recommendations for a new "American strategy" on...