Problems in American Democracy Part 96

8. What two sub-types are included under the mixed type of rural local government?

9. Compare briefly these two sub-types.

10. Discuss the nature of the movement to permit home rule to counties.

REQUIRED READINGS

1. Beard, _American Government and Politics_, chapter xxix.

2. Guitteau, _Government and Politics in the United States_, chapter ii.

3. Munro, _The Government of the United States_, chapter x.x.xvii.

4. Reed, _Form and Functions of American Government_, chapter xviii.

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. Summarize the relation of local inst.i.tutions to state government.

(Guitteau, page 15.)

2. What factors are responsible for the decline of the town meeting in the Middle West? (Beard, page 651.)

3. Describe the early English county. (Guitteau, page 18.)

4. What are the chief divisions of the county in the southern and western parts of the United States? (Reed, pages 222-223.)

5. What are the sources of county government? (Reed, page 210.)

6. What is a "town chairman"? (Reed, page 222.)

7. What are the two types of county boards? (Beard, pages 640-641.)

8. What is a parish? (Guitteau, page 21.)

9. Why is there a growing demand that local inst.i.tutions be placed under the supervision of the state government? (Beard, pages 654-655.)

10. What are the merits and defects of autonomy for rural local governments? (Munro, pages 544-545.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

I

1. Origin of local government in your section.

2. Development of rural local government in your community, or in some adjacent community.

3. The work of the tax a.s.sessor in rural local government.

4. Investigate the powers and duties of any other county, town, or towns.h.i.+p officer.

II

5. Origin and development of rural local government in the United States. (James, _Local Government in the United States_, chapter ii; Kimball, _State and Munic.i.p.al Government in the United States_, chapter xvi.)

6. The New England town. (Fairlie, _Local Government in Counties, Towns and Villages_, pages 141-146.)

7. Towns.h.i.+p government. (Fairlie, _Local Government in Counties, Towns and Villages_, pages 164-185.)

8. General nature of county government. (Munro, _The Government of the United States_, chapter x.x.xviii.)

9. The organization of county government. (James, _Local Government in the United States_, chapter iii; Maxey, _County Administration_.)

10. Functions of county government. (James, _Local Government in the United States_, chapter iv; Maxey, _County Administration_.)

11. Financial administration in counties. (Maxey, _County Administration_.)

12. The administration of highways in counties. (Maxey, _County Administration_.)

13. Charitable and correctional inst.i.tutions in the county. (Maxey, _County Administration_.)

14. Politics in rural local government. (Beard, _American Government and Politics_, chapter x.x.x.)

15. County home rule. (Gilbertson, _The County_, chapter xv.)

16. City and county consolidation. (Maxey, _County Administration_.)

17. New developments in county government. (James,_Local Government in the United States_, chapter viii.)

18. Rural local government in England. (Reed, _Form and Functions of American Government_, chapter xvii.)

19. Rural local government in France. (James, _Local Government in the United States_, chapter i.)

FOR CLa.s.sROOM DISCUSSION

20. The relative merits of the town, county, and mixed type of rural local government.

21. The problem of efficiency in rural local government in your state.

22. The problem of responsibility in rural local government in your state.

23. Should rural local governments in your state be allowed a greater measure of home rule?