Questions and Topics for Discussion What is the purpose of the juvenile courts? How is a case in the juvenile court handled? Is there a juvenile court in your city? How can parents help the courts? How does a knowledge of English help the parent to bring his children up to be good citizens? Should not every parent coöperate with the government in every possible way to protect his children from crime? LESSON XVII HOW OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT CAME TO BE When the thirteen colonists declared themselves free from the rule of England, a new national government was formed by a body of men called the Continental Congress. The purpose of this government was to strengthen the colonists so they could fight together for freedom. During the war of the Revolution this new government worked very well. But after the war troubles arose. The new government was weak. National laws were made, but they could not be enforced. There were no national courts to punish offenders who broke the laws. The new nation was under a heavy debt, yet Congress could not raise the money by taxation. Each state made its own laws and elected its own officers. Each state issued its own money, with the result that there were many kinds of money in use. There was trouble over trade between states, and foreign trade. The states could obey the laws of Congress or not, as they wished. In short, there was no real union because there was no strong central government. After a time, the people realized that this way of doing things could not go on. There must be a stronger national government if the states were to remain united. There must be some way of enforcing such laws as were necessary for the good of all. For the purpose of forming a stronger and better government, a convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787. The men who met at this convention were the nation's wisest and best, and they served it well. They framed an entirely new Constitution, which was to be the supreme law of the nation. The states agreed to accept this law, and the United States Constitution went into effect in 1789. That was many years ago, but, with a few changes called Amendments, the Constitution is our supreme law to-day. With its aid we have grown to be one of the largest and strongest nations in the world. Questions and Topics for Discussion What were some of the weaknesses in the first government of the thirteen states? What did the states do about it? Where did the convention meet? Who attended it? In what year was it held? What did the members of the convention frame? In what year did the Constitution go into effect? Is the Constitution still in force? What changes have been made in it? What are these changes called? LESSON XVIII PLAN OF OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT The United States is a republic. The government of the United States as created by the Constitution is republican in form. A republican form of government is a government in which the people rule. Our republic has at its head a chief executive, the President, who is elected by the people through electors. The Constitution provides for a federal government. This means that the state and national government work together under a supreme law. The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. The national government, like the state government, is divided into three departments. They are the legislative department, the executive department, and the judicial department. The legislative department, called Congress, makes the laws. The executive department enforces the laws. The judicial department interprets the laws and administers justice. The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, is our national capital. The President lives in Washington, and Congress and the Supreme Court meet there. Questions and Topics for Discussion What is the United States? What is a republican form of government? Who is the chief executive of our republic? How is he elected? What do we mean by a federal government? What is the supreme law in the United States? Into how many departments is the national government divided? Name them. What is the work of each department? What is the name of our national capital? Where is it? What bodies meet there? LESSON XIX THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT Congress The legislative department of the United States government is the law-making body. It is called Congress. Congress is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Besides being the law-making body of the United States, Congress has many other powers. These powers are vested in Congress by the United States Constitution. Some of the most important are the following: It may regulate commerce with foreign nations. It may establish post offices. It may establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court. It may declare war. It may maintain and support an army and a navy. It may provide uniform laws for naturalization. |