PART OF A KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SERIES ON COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, THIS MONOGRAPH DISCUSSES THE ROLE OF POLITICS (HERE DEFINED AS THE MEANS BY WHICH CONFLICT AMONG DIVERSE GOALS AND METHODS ARE RESOLVED OR ACCOMMODATED IN SOCIETY) AND GOVERNMENT (ANY INSTITUTION THAT FORMALLY ENACTS AND ADMINISTERS THE RULES OF SOCIETY) IN COMMUNITY ACTION. THE GROUP THEORY OF POLITICS, WHICH STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENDING GROUPS, INDIVIDUALS, AND INTERESTS RATHER THAN THAT OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN, IS SET FORTH. DIVISIVE AND INTEGRATIVE FORCES AT WORK IN URBAN AND URBAN AFFECTED AREAS ARE THEN EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF THIS THEORY. IN THE REALM OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, THREE BASIC ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT LEGAL STATUS OF KANSAS CITIES ARE DISCUSSED--RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL UNITS (INCLUDING PROVISIONS OF THE HOME RULE AMENDMENT), PERMISSIBLE FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES. PROBLEMS OF MULTIPLE GOVERNMENTAL JURISDICTION ARE CONSIDERED, TOGETHER WITH SPECIFIC METROPOLITAN SCHEMES ADOPTED BY TORONTO, LOS ANGELES, AND MIAMI. THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES 19 REFERENCES. (LY)