Civil Government in the United States Considered with Some Reference to Its Origins. Fiske John

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      Necessity of separating municipal from national politics

      Notion that the suffrage ought to be restricted; evils wrought by ignorant voters

      Evils wrought by wealthy speculators; testimony of the Pennsylvania

       Municipal Commission

      Dangers of a restricted suffrage

      Baneful effects of mixing city politics with national politics

      The "spoils system" must be destroyed, root and branch; ballot reform also indispensable

      QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

      SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS

      BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

      CHAPTER VI.

       Table of Contents

      THE STATE.

      Section 1. The Colonial Governments.

      Claims of Spain to the possession of North America

      Claims of France and England

      The London and Plymouth Companies

      Their common charter

      Dissolution of the two companies

      States formed in the three zones

      Formation of representative governments; House of Burgesses in

       Virginia

      Company of Massachusetts Bay

      Transfer of the charter from England to Massachusetts

      The General Court; assistants and deputies

      Virtual independence of Massachusetts, and quarrels with the Crown

      New charter of Massachusetts in 1692; its liberties curtailed

      Republican governments in Connecticut and Rhode Island

      Counties palatine in England; proprietary charter of Maryland

      Proprietary charter of Pennsylvania

      Quarrels between Penns and Calverts; Mason and Dixon's line

      Other proprietary governments

      They generally became unpopular

      At the time of the Revolution there were three forms of colonial government: 1. Republican; 2. Proprietary; 3. Royal

      (After 1692 the government of Massachusetts might be described as

       Semi-royal)

      In all three forms there was a representative assembly, which alone could impose taxes

      The governor's council was a kind of upper house

      The colonial government was much like the English system in miniature

      The Americans never admitted the supremacy of parliament

      Except in the regulation of maritime commerce

      In England there grew up the theory of the imperial supremacy of parliament

      And the conflict between the British and American theories was precipitated by becoming involved in the political schemes of George III.

      QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

      Section 2. The Transition from Colonial to State Governments.

      Dissolution of assemblies and parliaments

      Committees of correspondence; provincial congresses

      Provisional governments; "governors" and "presidents"

      Origin of the senates

      Likenesses and differences between British and American systems

      QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

      Section 3. The State Governments.

      Later modifications

      Universal suffrage

      Separation between legislative and executive departments; its advantages and disadvantages as compared with the European plan

      In our system the independence of the executive is of vital importance

      The state executive

      The governor's functions: 1. Adviser of legislature; 2. Commander of state militia; 3. Royal prerogative of pardon; 4. Veto power

      Importance of the veto power as a safeguard against corruption In building the state, the local self-government was left unimpaired

      Instructive contrast with France

      Some causes of French political incapacity

      Vastness of the functions retained by the states in the American Union

      Illustration from recent English history

      Independence of the state courts

      Constitution of the state courts

      Elective and appointive judges

      QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

      SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS

      BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

      CHAPTER VII.

       Table of Contents

      WRITTEN CONSTITUTIONS.

      In the American state there is a power above the legislature

      Germs of the idea of a written constitution

      Development of the idea of contract in Roman law; mediaeval charters

      The "Great Charter" (1215)

      The Bill of Rights (1689)

      Foreshadowing of the American idea by Sir Harry Vane (1666)

      The СКАЧАТЬ