Interest is paid on bonds, and after a certain time the government pays back the money loaned to it. The money that is raised by the government by taxation is used for the health, protection, defense, and service of all its people. All share in the benefits derived from it. Everyone should be willing to pay a share of the cost of these benefits. Questions and Topics for Discussion Why is money necessary to carry on the work of the government? What work do our city, state, and national officers do? Whom do they serve? Who does pay for it? Who should pay for this service? How is the money raised? What is the most common tax? What are poll taxes? Describe the income tax. What are indirect taxes? What are bonds? How many Liberty Bonds do you own? What kind of tax do you pay? If you and others did not help to pay the tax of the government, what kind of a country would we have? LESSON XXVII VOTING NOTE TO TEACHER. Obtain facsimile ballots and teach pupils how to mark them properly. When voting day comes, every good citizen who has the right to vote goes to the polls. He has already registered, that is, he has appeared before the election officers and qualified as a voter. If he is a naturalized citizen, he brought with him, when he was registered, his certificate of naturalization. He took oath that he was the person named in it. He also brought a witness to prove that he lived in the city. He was asked to read some English, which he did very well. Being duly registered, he is very happy on election day to have a chance to vote. At the polls he must tell the election officer his name and address. The election officer looks over the list of registered voters. He finds the citizen's name, so hands him a ballot. The citizen then enters the booth and examines his ballot carefully. He finds the names of the different candidates printed on it. He marks the ballot, that is, he places a cross (X) opposite the names of the candidates he wishes to vote for. He chooses the men who, in his judgment, will best serve the public. He must mark his ballot clearly. He must not erase anything that he has written. If he spoils one ballot he will be given another. When he has finished marking his ballot, he folds it so that the printed side cannot be seen. He hands it to another election officer who checks off the voter's name on his list. The ballot is then dropped into the ballot box. When the polls have closed for the day, the ballots are counted and the returns made public. A MAN AND HIS WIFE VOTING Note the ballot box, and in the background the booths where the voters mark their ballots. There is usually great excitement when the results of an election are being received. News of the voting in national elections is flashed over the wires from one end of the country to the other. By means of the votes cast on election day all citizens share in making our government what it is. They are responsible for the laws that are made, because they have elected the men who make the laws. Every citizen should do his duty by going to the polls on election day. He should cast his vote for the men who will make the best laws. Questions and Topics for Discussion Who may vote in your state? What is the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution? Tell what happens when you go to the polls. Why should voting be secret? Why is every citizen's vote important? What are the great political parties in the United States? Have you ever studied a ballot? How are the names of the candidates arranged? Why must a ballot be marked clearly? What is the direct share a citizen takes in the government? If you have a poor government, or if bad laws are passed, who is to blame? LESSON XXVIII CITIZENSHIP "All persons born or naturalized in the United Above is the Fourteenth Amendment of the Const1tution of the United States. By it we may understand who are citizens, and who may be citizens, and that citizenship in the United States is two-fold. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. All foreigners except Mongolians (Japanese, Chinese, Burmese, and East Indians) may become citizens through naturalization. 2. A person who is a citizen of the United States is also a citizen of the state in which he lives. He therefore must be faithful to the laws and government of both the state and the nation. The rights of American citizenship in both are guaranteed to him in the United States Constitution and in the constitution of each state. Our government extends to both groups of citizens, the native-born and the naturalized, all its rights and privileges. They have the right to vote and hold office.1 They may help to make the laws that govern the American nation. Citizenship also grants many benefits. American citizenship gives the protection of the government not only to ourselves, our families, and our property here in America, but it also protects us abroad. The protection of the United States Government and the United States Flag follows its citizens, whether they are men, women, or children, wherever they go. To all citizens are given equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal privileges. So also does our government require of all its citizens equal duties in obeying the law, equal responsibilities, and equal obligations. To the American born citizen these responsibilities and obligations include a better understanding of America and the United States government. 1 The only privilege denied the naturalized citizen is that of holding the office of President or Vice President. |