Would it be advisable to separate municipal government
entirely from county and township government?
entirely from county and township government?
Beard - 1931 - Questions and Problems in American Government - Syllabus by Erbe
2. What type of supervision does your State provide over
banking and insurance corporations? In your judgment, do you
think that this supervision is adequate?
3. Do you think that an innocent depositor who places his
money in a bank chartered by the State should lose his money
if the bank fails? What has been done in some States to protect
the depositor? To what extent have bank guarantee deposit
laws been successful?
4. Is it proper to regulate by law the hours of labor, if men
are willing to work longer hours for increased pay?
5. If an employee is injured while at work should his em-
ployer pay for the injury the same as he would if by accident a
machine were broken?
6. What are some difficulties in the way of penal adminis-
tration?
7. Should the criminal remain idle? Discuss.
8. How may convict labor be utilized? What are the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of convict labor?
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? ipa PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
9. When has a criminal been properly disciplined? Do you
think that the indeterminate sentence is more desirable than a
fixed sentence? Explain.
10. What is the purpose of the probation system?
11. What attitude should society take toward one who has
committed a crime? Discuss.
12. Do you think that private charities are desirable? To
what extent, if any, should they be supervised by the State?
13. Why should there be State supervision of local public
charitable and correctional institutions?
14. Why is the giving of aid to the poor a difficult problem?
15. Describe the composition of State boards of health.
16. How have boards of health attempted to prevent dis-
ease?
17. In what ways do State and local health authorities come
in contact with each other?
18. What has the State done in the way of lending financial
aid for educational purposes?
19. Of what significance is compulsory school attendance?
What are some difficulties experienced with it?
20. Should there be a number of institutions of higher learn-
ing in the State, a few institutions, or a single institution?
Discuss.
21. How does the State undertake to regulate conduct in the
interest of public morals?
22. Does the responsibility for good government rest upon
the police force, the militia, or upon the citizens themselves?
23. Comment on the following quotations.
a. "The best system of education is that which draws its chief
support from the voluntary effort of the community, from
the individual efforts of citizens, and from those burdens of
taxation which they voluntarily impose upon themselves. "
--Garfield.
b. "Jails and state prisons are the complement of schools; so
many less as you have of the latter, so many more you must
have of the former. "--Horace Mann.
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? ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS 103
c "All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind
have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the
education of the youth. "--Aristotle.
d. "Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing
army. If we retrench the wages of the schoolmaster, we must
raise those of the recruiting sergeant. "--Edward Everett.
e. "Education is the cheap defense of nations. "--Burke.
References
Beard's Readings in American Government and Politics, New and Re-
vised Edition, Chap. XXXII.
Mathews' Principles of American State Administration (1917), Chaps.
xn-xiv.
Mathews' American State Government (1924), Chaps. XH-XIV.
Mathews and Berdahl's Documents and Readings in American Govern-
ment (1928), Chap. XXVI.
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? CHAPTER XXX
(pp. 715-749)
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND FINANCE
1. Of what importance are cities in a democracy?
2. Is it true that if the cities fail, then industrial civilization
fails?
3. How does the problem of municipal administration today
differ from that of Washington's day?
4. Do the majority of the people in the United States live
in rural areas or urban centers? How do you account for this?
5. What factors tend to make municipal administration diffi-
cult in America?
6. Explain the relation which exists between the city and
the State?
7. Point out some difficulties which cities experienced be-
cause of interference on the part "of the State legislatures.
8. What is meant by "Municipal Home Rule"?
9. List the arguments for and against municipal home rule?
10. Is it possible to determine arbitrarily where State interest
ends and municipal interest begins?
11. What four checks are referred to as a means of restrain-
ing State legislatures from interfering too widely in municipal
affairs?
12. What problems arise out of the relation of the city to the
county and to outlying urban areas?
13. Discuss the city council in regard to the following.
a. Type of organization (unicameral or bicameral)
b. Basis of representation
c. Powers
14. How important is the "police power" of the city?
104
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? MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND FINANCE 105
15. Explain the change that has come about in the position
of the mayor.
16. Discuss the office of mayor in regard to the following.
17. Describe the Commission form of municipal government
in regard to the following.
c. Outstanding features of the plan
18. List some outstanding cities which have adopted the
Commission form of municipal government.
19. Describe the City Manager plan of municipal government
in regard to the following.
a. Origin d. Advantages
b. Organization e. Weaknesses
c. Outstanding features of the plan
20. Make a list of a number of important cities having this
form of municipal government.
21. Trace briefly the development of municipal administra-
tion. What has made it difficult and how has it been im-
proved?
22. Have cities always been successful in the handling of
their finances?
23. What part did the cities play in securing budget reform?
24. List the sources from which the city derives its revenues.
25. What effective methods have been worked out by pro-
gressive cities for the assessment or valuation of property for
taxation?
26. Are there any limitations upon the city's powers to incur
debts?
27. Of what importance is municipal accounting? What ad-
vances have been made in this respect?
28. What agencies or organizations have been developed to
aid cities in the solution of their kindred problems?
a. Method of selection
b. Term of office
c. Salary
d. Powers
a. Origin
b. Organization
d. Advantages
e. Weaknesses
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? io6 PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. What are the real sources of municipal power and au-
thority?
2. Is there any method of measuring the effectiveness of
municipal government?
3.
Would it be advisable to separate municipal government
entirely from county and township government?
4. Do you think that State legislatures are ordinarily com-
petent to pass upon municipal problems?
5. Can cities be trusted to govern themselves?
6. List arguments for and against having education adminis-
tered by city government rather than by an independent board.
7. Should members of the city council be paid for full time,
allowed a small compensation, or serve without pay? Explain.
8. Is the City Manager plan adaptable to cities of all sizes?
9. Which of the following do you think gives the greatest
difficulty in municipal administration: the form of the govern-
ment, the personnel of the officers, or the indifference of the
voters?
10. Do municipal political parties exist? Is there any real
need for them? Explain.
11. Make a diagram showing how each of the three different
types of municipal government are organized.
12. How are cities and towns in your State classified?
13. What is the best type of budget for a city?
14. Has the income of municipal governments kept pace with
the increase of their functions?
15. Should tax exemption be used as a form of municipal poor
relief?
16. Do you think that it would be possible or desirable to
run a city on the "pay-as-you-go" plan?
17. Give reasons why or why not a municipally owned power
plant should pay taxes the same as a privately owned plant.
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? MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND FINANCE 107
18. Do you believe that abutting property owners should be
required to pay for street paving? Explain.
19. Should the suffrage in municipal elections involving bond
issues be restricted to taxpayers?
20. Why should a municipal budget be submitted to a State
officer for approval?
References
Beard's Readings in American Government and Politics, New and Re-
vised Edition, Chap. XXVII.
Munro's The Government of the United States, Third Edition, Chaps.
XL-XLII.
Ogg and Ray's Introduction to American Government, Fourth Edition,
Chaps. XLI-XLIII.
Mathews' American State Government (1924), pp. 490-512.
Mathews and Berdahl's Documents and Readings in American Govern-
ment (1928), Chap. XXVIII.
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? CHAPTER XXXI
(pp. 750-785)
MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS
1. Under what headings may municipal functions be classi-
fied?
2. Are municipal functions tending to increase or decrease?
What does this indicate?
3. What municipal activities are included in the department
of public safety?
4. Make a list of the activities that come under police ad-
ministration.
5. Why is it that police administration is so difficult?
6. Should there be State or local administration of police
functions, or both?
7. Describe the organization of the typical police force.
8. To what extent does politics enter into police adminis-
tration?
9. How are the courts related to police administration?
10. In what way might municipal judicial systems be im-
proved?
11. Of what importance is the juvenile court? What has it
accomplished?
12. Discuss briefly the office of public defender.
13. Describe the organization of the fire service.
14. How has the fire service been improved?
15. How extensive are our losses annually by fire? Does this
warrant the steps we are now taking to prevent fire?
16. What activities are included under the department of
public works and utilities? What are some difficulties encoun-
tered in this field of service?
108
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? MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS 109
17. To what extent have municipalities gone into the business
of owning and operating public utilities? Is this desirable?
18. Do you agree that the municipal ownership of public
utilities should not be extended to revenue-producing industries
not involving public health, safety, and transportation, or the
permanent occupation of public streets or grounds?
19. Is politics involved in the operation of public utilities re-
gardless of whether they are under public or private ownership?
20. What conclusions may be drawn in regard to the success
or failure of municipal ownership of public utilities?
21. What has been done to regulate public utilities when
operated under private management?
22. What are the functions of the municipal department of
public health?
23. Give the organization of an ideal health department as
outlined by a committee of the American Public Health Asso-
ciation working in conjunction with the Federal Public Health
Service.
24. What effect has the modern public health service had
upon the medical profession?
25. Trace the development of public education in American
cities.
26. How is education usually administered in American
cities?
27. Should school administration be independent of control
by the city's government? Discuss.
28. What has brought about the changed attitude toward
social welfare?
29. Do you believe in this statement, "It is blessed to give
and always will be, but it is more blessed to use intelligence in
reducing the necessity of giving"?
30. List the major activities undertaken by a department of
social welfare.
31. Comment upon the amendment of 1917 to the Massachu-
setts Constitution which authorized all cities and towns to
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? no PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
provide food, shelter, and other common necessities of life to
the people at reasonable rates in time of war, emergency, public
exigency, or distress.
32. To what extent have American cities planned for their
future?
33. Is there a tendency at present to deliberately plan our
cities with a view to promote the welfare of all concerned?
34. How did the idea of city planning develop in America?
35. What motives led to the development of the single tax
idea?
36. What are the qualities of a good municipal adminis-
trator?
37. Do you think that the study of municipal government is
important? Why or why not?
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. List the advantages and disadvantages of State supervi-
sion over municipal functions.
2. Is municipal government centralized for administrative
purposes?
3. Compare the organization of municipal government in
your city with that provided for in the Model Charter issued by
the National Municipal League.
4. Should the merit system be applied to the rank and file
of municipal employees?
5. How can the training of the police force be improved?
6. Would the establishment of a State police force solve the
problem of law enforcement? What States now have State
police?
7. Why is so much spent for fire protection and so little for
fire prevention?
8. What right has a city to prevent a man from operating a
filling station on his own premises?
9. Is a building code desirable for all cities?
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? MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS
in
10. To what extent should the city assume responsibility for
the care of the sick?
11. Should a city take care of its own poor?
12. Do you think it possible or desirable to enforce smoke
abatement laws?
13. Are zoning ordinances unwarranted invasions of private
rights?
14. Are planned cities more desirable to live in than those
which are not planned?
15.
