THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE: The Story of One City's Government

An actual city, its people and its problems--in this case Trenton, New Jersey, but it could be Anytown, U.S.A.--unfolds as text and pictures take us to the shopping center and the suburbs, to City Hall and a meeting of the City Council (a dozen spectators in space for 225); to ""the worst street in the city"" and the war on poverty--job training, education, health, recreation (""The recreation director says she could use twice as many parks and playgrounds""). On to the whole range of regular services: the traffic engineer preventing tie ups and accidents; the policeman answering calls; the court (for privacy's sake, no photos allowed); firefighting (and 500 false alarms a year); schools, the library (not enough space); inspectors of everything (weights and measures, air pollution, buildings); water supply and sewage (diagrammed in detail). All this and taxes too--in a candid documentary, sparing of words but highly suggestive. It could make Civics the most popular subject in the curriculum.