Our Government: Local, State, and National: Idaho Edition

J.A. James

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• Publié par: irmau
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Our Government: Local, State, and National:
Idaho Edition, by J.A. James
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Title: Our Government: Local, State, and National: Idaho Edition
Author: J.A. James
Release Date: July 20, 2004 [EBook #12968]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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OUR GOVERNMENT
LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL
BY
J.A. James, Ph.D.
Professor of History in Northwestern University
And
A.H. Sanford, M.A.
Professor of History, State Normal School, La Crosse,
Wisconsin
1903, 1913
Charles Scribner's SonsPREFACE
The subject matter herewith presented partially represents the plan pursued by
the authors as teachers of civil government for a number of years in high
school, academy, and normal school. It has been found that a study of the
methods by which the affairs of government are conducted gives constant
interest to the work, and, consequently, the practical side of government has
been emphasized. But while our desire has been to bring the actual working of
the institutions under which the student lives into prominence, we have also
attempted to give such accounts of the origin and early development of forms of
government as will assist in explaining their process of growth. The plan of
discussion is similar to that followed in "Government in State and Nation." The
general favor with which that text has been received leads to the belief that it
fully meets the requirement of the Committee of Five for such schools as
present civil government in the third or fourth year of the course. In many cases,
however, the subject is taught earlier in the course, and the present work has
been prepared in answer to the requests of teachers for a text suitable to this
class of students.
The arrangement is such that either Local (Part I), National (Part II), or State
Government (Part III) may be studied first. In the work on local and State
government it is not expected that the student will learn all of the different
practices found in the various States, but that he will compare them with those
of his own State.
While some of the discussions and many of the suggestive questions are
intended to make students realize more completely their duties as citizens,
many more having a local bearing will occur to teachers. It is scarcely to be
hoped that all of the books and magazines mentioned will be found in any high
school library, but the need for supplementary reading is being met through the
rapid increase of public libraries. A working-library on the subject of civics may
be accumulated in a short time if only a few of the books given in Appendix D
are procured each year. No attempt has been made to give references to all of
the material which has appeared within the past few years.
The ability of the reader and the time to be devoted to the subject have been
kept constantly in mind. There may be more supplementary questions and
references than can be used by any one class. Should it happen, on the other
hand, that more work of this character is desired, the need may be met by
reference to similar questions in "Government in State and Nation."
In preparing this new edition, we take the opportunity of acknowledging the
assistance given by many teachers of civics, strangers to us, who are using
"Government in State and Nation," and others who are using "Our
Government," for their helpful suggestions.
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, July 1, 1913.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
CONTENTS
PART I.
CHAPTER I. THE WORK OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER II. COUNTY GOVERNMENTCHAPTER III. THE ORIGIN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
CHAPTER IV. THE GOVERNMENT OF CITIES
PART II.
CHAPTER V. EVENTS LEADING TO THE FORMATION OF THE UNION
CHAPTER VI. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
CHAPTER VII. ORGANIZATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER VIII. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SEPARATE HOUSES
CHAPTER IX. HOW LAWS ARE MADE BY CONGRESS
CHAPTER X. SOME IMPORTANT POWERS OF CONGRESS
CHAPTER XI. OTHER GENERAL POWERS OF CONGRESS
CHAPTER XII. POWERS DENIED THE UNITED STATES AND THE
SEVERAL STATES
CHAPTER XIII. THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER XIV. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT
CHAPTER XV. THE CABINET
CHAPTER XVI. THE NATIONAL JUDICIARY
CHAPTER XVII. TERRITORIES AND PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER XVIII. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
CHAPTER XIX. THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD
APPENDIX A. CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
APPENDIX B. THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
APPENDIX C. REFERENCE BOOKS
INDEX
PART I.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE WORK OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
The Preservation of Order.—The first and most important work of any
government is the preservation of order. We think of this function most
frequently as exercised in the arrest of offenders who violate the law. In fact,
most young persons receive their earliest ideas of government by seeing the
policeman, or constable, who stands for the authority of the government. But he
is not the only officer who is concerned in preserving order. The police officer
who makes an arrest cannot punish his prisoner, but must merely hold him until
it is decided that he deserves punishment. This is the work of a court, with its
justice, or judge, and the jury. If the prisoner is declared guilty, then the police
officer executes the orders of the court by collecting a fine or by imprisoning
him. We have here illustrated two divisions of governmental authority: (1) the
judicial, which decides whether the law applies in particular cases; and (2) the
executive, which carries out the requirements of the law and the orders of the
court.
Law-Making.—The executive and the judicial officers are both subject to
higher authority: the one applies and the other executes the law. The framing of
the law is the third function of government. This work is called legislation, and
is carried on by such bodies as the town board, the village board, and the city
council. But these law-making bodies do not have independent authority; they
are bound more or less strictly by the opinions of those who elected them tooffice; i.e., the body of voters.
The Three Divisions of Government.—We say, then, that in our country
government is based finally upon the will of the people. For the expression of
their will they choose numerous officers, who may be grouped under three
heads, corresponding to the general divisions of government: legislative,
executive, and judicial.
Just as it would be impossible for all the voters to take part in
applying or interpreting the law, so it is in most cases
impossible for them to assemble in a body and make the
laws. They generally delegate this work to legislators; but in
some States the voters of a town (or township) assemble
yearly in town meeting, where all may take part in discussion
and in voting.
Roads and Streets.—The preservation of order is but one of the functions of
government. In towns where the population is scattered, roads must be built,
and it is still more necessary that in villages and cities, where many people live
within a small area, streets should be graded and paved and sidewalks
maintained. This is an illustration of the way in which, through the machinery of
government, people provide themselves with many conveniences that it would
be impossible for each citizen to provide for himself. The legislative bodies
already mentioned determine the extent to which these things shall be done:
the town board orders the laying out of a new road; the village board or the city
council passes ordinances saying what streets shall be paved and what
materials shall be used in the work.
Executive Officers, General and Special.—The actual execution of the work
involved in public improvements is generally in charge of a special officer, such
as the road or street commissioner. But since there are many other matters of
public concern that require attention, each under the control of an executive
officer, it is necessary that a general officer should be in authority over all of
these as the chief executive of the local government. This officer is known by
various titles, as, in the town, the chairman, in the village, the president, and in
the city, the mayor. In any case, he has all or most of the important executive
work of government under his control. It is his duty to see that the laws are
obeyed, so the police officers are subject to his orders. The chief executive is
guardian of the people's interests; for he must see that the minor officers do not
injure the public welfare by neglect of duty, and he must defend the public from
all persons who would encroach upon its rights.
Let us now consider some of the other ordinary functions of local government.
The Poor.—Poor relief may be mentioned first. How much aid shall be granted
to paupers,