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Problems in American Democracy · Thames Williamson — chapter 89 of 132 · ~518 words · public domain

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5. Reed, Form and Functions of American Government, chapter vii.

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. Is the number of elective officers in the United States greater or less than in Europe? (Bryce, page 146.)

2. How is the caucus used at the present time? (Ray, page 75.)

3. What is a "self-announced" candidate? (Ray, page 75.)

4. Describe the workings of the "nomination by petition" device. (Ray, page 76.)

5. What evils attend the unregulated caucus or primary? (Ray, pages 80-83.)

6. Describe the work of the state nominating convention. (Guitteau, pages 467-468.)

7. Outline the procedure in the national convention. (Guitteau, pages 471-472.)

8. What are the two chief types of Australian ballot? (Reed, pages 82- 84.)

9. What is the chief weakness of the Direct Primary? (Reed, page 87.)

10. Name some states in which the presidential preference primary is used. (Reed, page 87.)

11. How is a typical presidential preference primary conducted? (Reed, page 87.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

1. Use of the caucus or primary in your community.

2. The nominating convention in your state.

3. The Direct Primary in your state or community.

4. Legal control of the Direct Primary in your state.

5. The extent to which nomination by petition is employed in your state.

6. The representation of minorities in your state legislature.

7. Recent ballot reform in your state.

8. The framework of the convention. (Ford, Rise and Growth of American Politics, chapter xvi; Ray, Introduction to Political Parties and Practical Politics, chapter v; Woodburn, Political Parties and Party Problems in the United States, chapters xi-xiii.)

9. The nominating convention at work. (Bryce, The American Commonwealth, vol. ii, chapter lxx; Ray, Introduction to Political Parties and Practical Politics, chapter viii.)

10. Structure of the Direct Primary. (Ray, Introduction to Political Parties and Practical Politics, chapter vi.)

11. How the Direct Primary works. (Cleveland, Organised Democracy, chapter xvii; Woodburn, Political Parties and Party Problems in the United States, chapter xxi.)

12. Effect of the Direct Primary upon party organization. (Holcombe, State Government in the United States, pages 193-204.)

13. Direct nominations. (Reinsch, Readings on American State Governments, pages 383-394)

14. Tyranny of the majority. (Bryce, The American Commonwealth, vol. ii, chapter lxxxiv.)

15. Safeguarding the rights of the minority. (Gettell, Readings in Political Science, pages 322-325.)

16. The nature of proportional representation. (Jones, Readings on Parties and Elections in the United States, pages 164-168; Commons, Proportional Representation.)

17. Objections to the principle of proportional representation. (Gettell, Readings in Political Science, pages 324-325.)

18. Preferential voting. (Massachusetts Constitutional Convention Bulletins, 1917.)

19. The gerrymander. (Woodburn, Political Parties and Party Problems in the United States, chapter xx.)

20. The short ballot. (Childs, Short Ballot Principles; Massachusetts Constitutional Convention Bulletins, 1917.)

21. What proportion of qualified voters actually use the ballot? (Hart, Practical Essays on American Government, No. 2.)

FOR CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

22. The desirability of extending the Direct Primary in your state.

23. The closed versus the open primary.

24. Advantages and disadvantages of nomination by petition.

25. Advantages and disadvantages of holding local, state and National elections at different times.

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