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The laws that the town makes concern local matters

only, as the town gets its powers of government from the State.

NOTE TO TEACHER.

If you live in a town, take the class to a town

meeting. Trips of this kind are very valuable.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

What is the simplest form of self-government?

How is a town governed? How are the officers chosen?
What are the duties of the town officers?

Name some of the advantages of town government.

How does town government directly express the wishes of the people?

If you have ever been to a town meeting, tell the class about it. Write your idea of a Democracy and how it is represented in town government.

LESSON IV

CITY GOVERNMENT IN A DEMOCRACY

NOTE. The teacher will necessarily adapt this lesson to the particular form of government in the city in which she teaches.

We have learned that a town is a community.

A city also is a community, but a very much larger one. A great many people in the United States to-day live in cities. They live closely together and the streets and houses are often over-crowded.

Some of our larger cities have a population of millions. We can easily see that it would be impossible for all of these people to attend a meeting such as is held in a town, to make the city laws.

In the first place, all of the people in a city could not get into one hall.

Even if a large number of people did get together, they could not discuss matters intelligently, because what was said could not be heard by all.

Again, there would be too many questions to take up. So city government must differ in some respects from town government.

Officials must be elected to carry on the city's affairs. The government of a city is divided into three depart

ments.

They are the legislative department, the executive department, and the judicial department.

The legislative department makes the laws.

The executive department enforces the laws.

The judicial department interprets the laws, and punishes those who break the law.

The officials of these three departments are elected by the people to make the laws and see that they are carried out. The people agree to respect and obey the laws made by these officials.

Thus do the people of the city share and help in the city government.

The Athenian Oath which follows, tells what the young men of Athens promised to do for their city.

The Athenian Oath

"We will never bring disgrace to this, our city, by any act of dishonesty or cowardice, nor ever desert our comrades; we will fight for the ideals and sacred

things of the city, both alone and with many; we will revere and obey the city laws, and do our best to incite a like respect and reverence in others; we will strive unceasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty; that thus, in all these ways, we may transmit this city, greater, better, and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."

Let us do all this and more for our city.

Thus we shall transmit our city "greater, better, and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."

Questions and Topics for Discussion

How does life in a city compare with that of a town?
Would a town government be useful in a city?

How must city government differ from town government?
How is city government divided? Name the departments.

What is the work of each department?

What do the people agree to do? How is a city self-governing? How do the people share in city government in a Democracy? How may each one help to make his city "greater, better, and more beautiful"?

LESSON V

THE CITY CHARTER

In all government there must be certain laws which form the basis or foundation of other laws.

We call such laws fundamental laws.

The city charter is the fundamental law of the city.

It is granted to the city by the state.

The city charter defines the city boundaries.

It contains the name of the city.

[graphic]

OLD CITY HALL (foreground) AND NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING (tall building) NEW YORK CITY

It tells what officers the city shall have.

It names the powers and duties of these officers.

It gives the city lawmakers (legislative department) the power to make such laws and ordinances as are necessary for the city government.

The city charter must contain nothing that does not agree with the state constitution. And all laws made by the city must agree with the city charter.

If changes are needed in the city charter, they are usually made by the state legislature.

In some states,1 however, the legislature allows the cities to form their own charter. After the charter has been ratified by the voters, it is submitted to the legislature for approval.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

What is the city charter?

What is meant by a fundamental law?

How is the city charter granted?

What does the city charter contain? What does it define?

What power does it grant the city?

With what must the city charter agree?

How is the charter in your city framed?

LESSON VI

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

NOTE TO TEACHER.

The City Council

If you live in a city take the class to a regular The matters taken up and the procedure will form the basis of constructive discussion.

meeting of the city council.

The legislative department of the city government makes the city laws or ordinances, as they are called.

1 About fourteen states have made this provision in their constitutions.

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