Festschrifts pose tricky problems for editors, publishers and reviewers. Editors have to confront the sensitive issue of whom to ask to contribute, how to nudge tardy contributors along and whether the honoree will be pleased with the result. Such collections are seldom thematically coherent enough to guarantee large sales, which is an issue for publishers facing bottom-line calculations. Reviewers have to critically appraise essays on which they are often not experts and they have to remember the occasion for putting those essays between covers. Despite these problems the genre persists, partly on the basis of tradition but also out of the genuine desire to honour colleagues who have been outstanding scholars and “citizens” in their professional fields.

This collection does an excellent job of honouring Professor David E. Smith at the University of Saskatchewan. David has been a distinguished scholar, great teacher and accomplished leader in the profession—one of the amazing number of excellent academics that Saskatchewan has produced. In terms of scholarship, David's work might be described as “traditional” because of the careful attention he pays to the foundation principles of institutional design and to the historical context in which institutions operate. His concern for institutional integrity leads him to accept change if necessary, but to avoid overselling the benefits of sweeping reforms. The phrase “continuity and change” in the title of the book nicely captures this academic orientation of the honoree.

Between the introduction and the conclusion written by the editors there are ten essays written by leading political scientists and economists from across the country. Contributors were allowed to select their topics, but were asked to connect their individual essays to the scholarship of Professor Smith. The editor who writes the conclusion identified six integrating themes: devolution of power, centre-periphery relations, Quebec's place in Confederation, constitutionalism, the new localism, globalization and governance and political leadership. Readers of this eclectic collection will probably see other potentially overarching ideas. This reviewer found the somewhat philosophical essay by Eric Montpetit, dealing with declining legitimacy in the federal system, a challenging read, but helpful in interpreting the content of other essays. Peter Russell argues that Canadians have left the era of “mega-constitutional change” behind them in favour of small “c” change. Economist Tom Courchene offers his usual stimulating blend of economic and political analysis to conclude that city-centred regions have become the growth centres for the future. Donald Savoie insightfully investigates the neglected topic of whether the bureaucracy can and should play more of a role as a broker of competing regional interests. Brook Jeffrey focuses on social policy in the federal system and reinforces Russell's theme that sweeping changes are not in favour these days. Aboriginal issues are the focus of the contribution by Ken Coates and Greg Poelzer, who examine the critical place of the Crown in defining the historical and contemporary relationships between First Nations and governments in Canada. Greg Machildon focuses on coalition governments in four provinces in terms of how they arise, operate and end. Generalizations, he finds, are difficult to draw. Joseph Garcea examines the failure to integrate the important policy areas of immigration and citizenship. Greg Skogstad and Roger Gibbons focus on the West, the region that figured prominently in David Smith's scholarship. Skogstad examines the responsiveness of national Liberal governments to western agricultural concerns and concludes that disunity among farm groups as much as the insensitivity of the Liberals has contributed to a gap between expectations and outcomes. Gibbons argues that the Liberals once depended upon the prairie West for their political success, but through a complex series of choices involving politics, policy and party organization, came to identify with Central Canada.

David Smith should be pleased with the themes and qualities of these essays, proving that not all festschrifts fall prey to the genre's inherent difficulties. The essays recognize the importance of the Constitution and institutions as useful starting points for understanding the Canadian political process and its close connections to the types of policies produced and their impacts on Canadian society. Most readers will probably select from the essays based on their own interests, but there is much of value in the collection.