Monagan analyzes the differences, both political and otherwise, of Northern and Southern California. He notes that Southern California is growing faster, he does not see the South's power dwarfing the North's power. He believes Northern California will continue to have adequate representation in Washington. On officially splitting the state in two, he argues it is a bad idea given economic, social, and cultural similarities and interdependence. However, he does warn that with reapportionment, more power will move to the more populous and urban South, but not at the expense of the North. Turning his attention to a slightly different issue, Monagan looks at the relationship between California and the federal government. He is highly critical of the state relying on Washington to fix its problems, advocating local autonomy. He looks at several aspects of this, including the aerospace industry and welfare spending. He argues that California needs to strength the powers of local government to strengthen the bonds between these governments so that she can resist any intrusion from Washington.