E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Julia Neufeld,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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Capitol, Washington, D.C.

GOVERNMENT

IN THE

UNITED STATES

NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL

BY

JAMES W. GARNER

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PREFACE

My aim in the preparation of this book has been to present in anelementary way the leading facts concerning the organization andactivities of national, state, and local government in the UnitedStates. I have given rather greater emphasis than is customarilydone in textbooks of this character to what may be called the dynamicsof government, that is, its actual workings, as contradistinguishedfrom organization. Likewise, I have laid especial stress uponthe activities and methods of political parties, party conventions,primaries, the conduct of political campaigns, the regulation of campaignmethods, and the like. The increasing importance of citizenshiphas led me to devote a chapter to that subject. To encouragewider reading among students, I have added to each chapter a brieflist of references to books which should be in every high school library.The great value of illustrative material as a means of acquainting studentswith the spirit and actual methods of government is now recognized.For the convenience of teachers, I have therefore added atthe end of each chapter a list of documentary and other illustrativematerial, most of which can be procured without cost and all of whichmay be used to advantage in supplementing the descriptive matter inthe textbook. To stimulate the spirit of research and to encourageindependent thinking among students, I have also added at the endof each chapter a list of search questions bearing upon the varioussubjects treated in the chapter.

I am under obligations to a number of teachers for reading theproof sheets of this book and for giving me the benefit of their advice.Among those to whom I am especially indebted are Mr. Clarence O.Gardner, formerly assistant in political science in the University ofIllinois, Mr. W. A. Beyer, of the Illinois State Normal University,Mr. C. H. Elliott, of the Southern Illinois State Normal University,Mr. E. T. Austin, of the Sterling Township (Ill.) High School, andMr. William Wallis, Principal of the Bloomington (Ill.) High School.

Urbana, Illinois.

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CONTENTS