chapter viii.. Questions on the Required Readings

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. What, according to Lord Bryce, are the essential intellectual traits of the masses of the American people? (Bryce, pages 825-826.)

2. Lord Bryce says that "there are elements in the life of the United States which may well make a European of any class prefer to dwell there rather than in the land of his birth." What are these elements? (Bryce, pages 870-873.)

3. What comment does Lord Bryce make upon the quality of humor in the American character? (Bryce, page 876.)

4. What three advantages does the United States have over European countries in the matter of grappling with modern problems? (Bryce, page 912.)

5. Explain the statement that "Democracy rests on faith." (McLaughlin, pages 181-182.)

6. What is meant by the statement that "Democracy is fundamentally a matter of human relationships"? (McLaughlin, pages 189-190.)

7. What, according to Lord Bryce, are the four chief defects of American democracy? (Bryce, page 632.)

8. What are the essential qualities which civic education should aim to cultivate? (Dunn, pages xi-xii.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

1. Make a list of the problems which in any way affect you as a citizen in the community. List these problems in the order in which they occur to you, or are discovered by you. Comment upon the confused and disorderly appearance of the problems so listed.

2. Classify the problems on your list according as they are economic, social or political.

3. Classify the problems on your list according as they are local, state or national.

4. Comment upon the complexity and inter-relationship of the problems so classified.

5. What agencies, public, semi-public, or private, are studying the problems on your list?

6. What difference of interest do the citizens of your community show in local, state and national problems?

7. Defects of democratic government the world over. (Bryce, Modern Democracies, vol. ii, pages 452-454.)

8. The background of the problems of American democracy. (Merriam, American Political Ideas, chapter i.)

9. The hindrances to good citizenship. (Bryce, Hindrances to Good Citizenship.)

10. The promise of American life. (Croly, The Promise of American Life, chapter i.)

11. Attitude of the individual in a democracy. (Hughes, Conditions of Progress in Democratic Government.)

12. The power of ideals in American history. (Adams, The Power of Ideals in American History.)

13. Ideals of citizenship. (Woodburn and Moran, The Citizen and the Republic, chapter xx.)

14. The future of democracy. (Bryce, Modern Democracies, vol. ii,