No More Learning

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? CHAPTER VI
(pp. 98-117)
THE ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS
1. Of how many houses is Congress composed? Why was
this type of organization selected?
2. What are the facts concerning the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate in regard to the following?
a. Number of members
b. Basis of apportionment
c. Qualifications and disqualifications
d. Manner of nomination
e. Time for holding elections
/. Term and salary
3. What is gerrymandering; why is it practiced; and what
are the objections to it?
4. Explain what is meant by reapportionment. When does
a reapportionment take place?
5. Explain the expression, "judge of the elections, returns
and qualifications of its own members. "
6. What provision of the Constitution may not be changed
by amendment except with the consent of the State con-
cerned?
7. For what purpose was the seventeenth amendment to the
Constitution adopted?
8. Why is the Senate referred to as a continuous body?
9. Under what circumstances have members-elect to Con-
gress been denied their seats?
10. What special privileges do members of Congress enjoy?
11. What is meant by "filibustering"? Point out some ways
in which a member of Congress might filibuster.
16
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? THE ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS 17
12. To what extent is Congress free to punish its members for
disorderly behavior?
13. Discuss the sessions of Congress as to kind, number,
length, and time of meeting.
14. Point out the advantages of one House of Congress over
the other.
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. Of how many members should Congress be composed?
2. How should representatives be apportioned? Explain.
3. How long should the representative's term of office be?
4. Should the representative follow the wishes of his con-
stituents or the dictates of his own conscience?
5. What is the ratio of representation and how is it deter-
mined?
6. Why was there no reapportionment made in 1921? How
do you explain this?
7. Does the Constitution require that a representative be a
resident of the district from which he is chosen?
8. What is the criticism of having equality of representation
in the Senate? What are its advantages?
9. What is meant by a "representative at large"? "Lame
D uck " ? " Franking privilege''?
10. Ought the qualifications for voting for representatives in
Congress be determined by national authority instead of by
the States? Explain.
11. Prepare an outline map showing the Congressional Dis-
tricts in your State, and indicate the number of each district,
size in square miles, the population, and the number of Repub-
lican and Democratic voters in each.
References
Beard's Readings in American Government and Politics, New and Re-
vised Edition, Chap. XII.
Munro's The Government of the United States, Third Edition, Chaps.
XIV-XVII.
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? 18 PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Ogg and Ray's Introduction to American Government, Fourth Edition,
Chaps. XX-XXI.
Haines and Haines' Principles and Problems of Government (1926),
PP- 303-333-
Willoughby and Rogers' An Introduction to the Problem of Government
(1921), Chap. XIV.
Mathews and Berdahl's Documents and Readings in American Govern-
ment (1928), Chap. IX.
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? CHAPTER VII
(pp. 118-151)
CONGRESS AT WORK
1. Of what importance is the work which Congress must
perform?
2. Is Congress limited in any way in the conduct of its busi-
ness?
3. What views have been taken by members of Congress in
deciding controverted questions? Explain each.
4. Point out the cause for the great mass of bills which come
before Congress in a single session.
5. Explain each of the following.
a. Bill d. Pork-barrel legislation
b. Special or private bill e. Log-rolling
c. Public bill
6. What responsibility do political parties represented in
Congress assume in connection with the business of legislation?
7. What machinery does a political party have for carrying
on its work pertaining to legislation?
8. Of whom is the party caucus composed? What is its
purpose and work?
9. In what way did President Wilson secure executive con-
trol over legislation?
10. Point out the functions and importance of each of the
following in the House of Representatives.
a. Speaker c. Chairman of important
b. Rules committee committees
d. Floor leader
11. How does leadership in the Senate compare with that in
the House?
19
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? 20 PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
12. What reforms do new members of the Senate usually in-
sist on? Why?
13. Of what importance are committees in Congress?
14. How are the members of committees selected and of whom
are they composed?
15. What is the "seniority rule"? Is there ever any opposi-
tion to its use? Explain.
16. Have there been any serious criticisms of the committee
system? What remedies, if any, have been proposed for these
shortcomings?
17. Trace a bill through Congress from the time that it is
first considered until it becomes a law, noting all irregularities
which might occur.
18. What rules governing procedure in Congress have become
rather definitely fixed? Explain the rule of "closure" in the
Senate.
19. How is it possible for Congress to secure the necessary
information to pass with a reasonable degree of intelligence
upon the great mass of legislation which comes before it?
20. What is meant by lobbying? What influence does it have
upon legislation? Is the permission of lobbying desirable or
undesirable? Explain.
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. How might expert bill drafting be secured?
2. May an individual secure the adjustment of a claim
against the Federal Government through his representative in
Congress?
3. Are there occupational groups who are under-represented
in Congress? Discuss.
4. Explain why bills for raising revenue should originate in
the House of Representatives.
5. What is the Committee of the Whole?
6. Make a list of the principal subjects of federal legislation.
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? CONGRESS AT WORK
21
7. Define: filibustering; rider.
8.
For what purpose does the Constitution require that
each house keep a journal of its proceedings?
9. Why should Senators and Representatives be privileged
from arrest for any but serious offenses?
10. Who is your representative? Of what committee is he a
member? Is he a chairman of any committee?
11. Does the Senate or the House exert the greater influence
in National legislation?
12. Is it true that the United States Senate is the strongest
"Upper Chamber" in the world?
13. How does the Senate compare in importance with the
English House of Lords?
14. Is it possible to defeat a bill in the House by filibustering,
as it is in the Senate? Explain.
15. Prepare a bill on some subject you are interested in.
16. Make a list of the principal committees in each of the
two houses of Congress.
References ,
Beard's Readings in American Government and Politics, New and Re-
vised Edition, Chap. XIV.
Munro's The Government of the United States, Third Edition, Chaps.
XIV-XVII.
Ogg and Ray's Introduction to American Government, Fourth Edition,
Chap. XXII.
Mathews and Berdahl's Documents and Readings in American Govern-
ment (1928), Chap. X.
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? CHAPTER VIII
(pp. 152-171)
THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF THE
PRESIDENT
1. What provision does the Constitution make for the nom-
ination and election of the President?
2. How did the constitutional framers think this plan would
work? Explain.
3. How is the membership of each of the two major party
conventions determined? Which plan do you prefer and why?
4. How are delegates to the National Conventions chosen?
What plan do you prefer? Explain.
5. What is the presidential primary? With what success
has it met? Have the people lost interest in it?
6. When and where does the National Convention of a major
political party meet?
7. What is the purpose of the National Nominating Con-
vention? Discuss briefly the formal procedure in the convention.
8. Name the important committees of the National Con-
vention. What is the importance and work of each?
9. How many votes are necessary to secure a nomination
in the Republican Convention? In the Democratic Convention?
10. What is the "unit rule"? Is there any limit in this
practice?
11. What type of men are usually selected as candidates for
the presidency?
12. How much consideration is given to the selection of can-
didates for the vice-presidency?
13. Of whom is the National Committee composed? How are
its members chosen?
22
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? NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF PRESIDENT 23
14. Give the main steps in the conduct of the presidential
campaign.
15. How are presidential electors selected?
16. What is the purpose of the Electoral College, and how
does it function?
17. Does the voter actually vote for the presidential nominee
on election day?
18. Does the candidate receiving the highest number of pop-
ular votes always secure the election? Explain and give illus-
trations.
19. If the Electoral College fails to elect, how are the President
and the Vice-President selected?
20. Should inauguration day be changed? Explain.
21. Is there any legal or extra-legal limitation on the right of
a president to be a candidate to succeed himself at the end of
his term?
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. What are the qualities of men that make them available
candidates for the presidency? What factors, geographical,
historical, religious, and so on, enter into consideration?
2. What Vice-Presidents have succeeded to the presidency?
3. If both the House and the Senate fail to elect by March 4th
after the Electoral College has failed, who becomes the Presi-
dent? If March 4th falls on Sunday, who is President on that
day?
4. What is the order of presidential succession in the event
that a vacancy occurs in this office?
5. Does the present method of selecting the President secure
a man who is the choice of the people?
6. Should the presidential term of office be increased or de-
creased? Explain.
7. How was John Quincy Adams elected in 1824?
8. How many electors are there in your State?
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? 24 PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
9. What number of electoral votes must a presidential candi-
date secure to be elected?
10. How do you account for the fact that although the Elec-
toral College does not cast its vote until the first Wednesday in
January, and the votes are not counted until the second Wednes-
day in February, the public are informed as to who has been
elected President soon after the popular election in November?
11. In your opinion should the President be elected by popular
vote?
12. Pick out of Amendment XII all provisions not found in
the original section of the Constitution.
13. Would a person born and reared in the United States who
lost his citizenship through naturalization in a foreign state and
later regained it through the naturalization process, be eligible
to hold the office of President?
14. How many presidents have there been who have not had
experience as governors before being elected to the presidency?
References
Beard's Readings in American Government and Politics, New and Re-
vised Edition, Chap. IX.
Bryce's The American Commonwealth (1924), Chap. VIII.
Munro's The Government of the United States, Third Edition, Chap. XI.
Ogg and Ray's Introduction to American Government, Fourth Edition,
Chap. XIII.
Mathews and Berdahl's Documents and Readings in American Govern-
ment, Chap. V.
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? CHAPTER IX
(pp. 172-202)
THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
1. Characterize in general the powers of the President.
2. By what right does the President's Cabinet exist? How
did the Cabinet develop?
3. Of whom is the Cabinet composed, when does it meet,
and what are its functions?
4. Discuss briefly the power of the President as head of the
administration.
5. What are the powers of the President in regard to the
following?
a. Appointment and removal c. War
b. Foreign affairs d. Pardon
6. Explain the expression "Senatorial Courtesy. " Why is
this important?
7. Distinguish between executive agreements and treaties.
What do you think of the use of the former?
8. What part does the President play in the enactment of
legislation?
9. Should the veto power of the President be curbed?
Explain.
10. What are the special rights and privileges of the Presi-
dent?
11. What are some points of relationship between the execu-
tive and legislative departments of government?
12. List the suggested reforms for improving the relation
between the legislative and executive departments of govern-
ment.
*5
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? 26 PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Questions and Problems for Further Study and
Discussion
1. What constitutes an office?
2.