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TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION S TESTIGATION 1. political parties are there in your community? W Find out what you can about their work.

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2. Can you learn whe some of the workers in these parties are and what they do? and friend 1/2 besinto a few s

3. How are your county officers nominated? your state officers? 4. Organize a society in your school room for the improvement of the S200910h0T to amosazorg I attoddA .8 (a) the candidates for the offices by a direct primarys (b) Choose the officers from these candidates by election ballots.

CHAPTER XXIX

PUBLIC OPINION IN GOVERNMENT

"Our government rests on public opinion. Whoever can change public opinion can change the government practically so much."

-Abraham Lincoln

Each day you must make up your mind on many things. Every day brings its choices to be made and its decisions to be reached. What you are is finally determined by these choices and decisions.

So it is with the people of a neighborhood, or city, or nation, or race. They, too, must make choices and decisions. For example, suppose the high school in a certain town is badly crowded. Classes are larger than they ought to be. There is no room for the addition of new subjects that many pupils desire. The auditorium is so small that only part of the pupils can be seated at one time. Conditions are so uncomfortable that pupils often leave school because of the inadequate facilities and opportunities.

The principal, the teachers, and the school board begin to talk about a new building. Many good citizens agree that a new building should be erected. But there are many

others who object because of the large cost. Arguments are advanced both for and against the project. Many questions, such as the location of the new building, its size and cost, must be settled. Gradually more and more people are won over to the plan of the school board. Some who do not entirely approve of certain parts of the plan agree to it because of the great need of some plan.

The pupils of the school talk about the project at home. Everybody in town is on one side of the question or the other, and many arguments are held in stores and clubs and homes.

is then open discussion. Often amendments are made to one or more of the “planks” proposed by the committee. The platform is then adopted by vote of the entire convention. It thus plays an important part in the following campaign; though as election day approaches, increasing importance will be attached to the public utterances of the candidates for President.

Each state party also adopts its platform as to state issues. States with direct primary laws often provide that the platform on state issues shall be drawn up for each party by the candidates of that party, together with hold-over officers belonging to that party and certain party committee

men.

Financing the Party. Party work costs money. Part of the cost formerly borne by the political party, such as the printing of primary election ballots, is now paid for by the state. In the past twenty years laws have recognized the far-reaching public importance of party activities.

The money spent by political parties comes from private contributions. The treasurer of the party and the candidates for office must make sworn public statements as to where the money they spent came from and as to how that money was spent. As a rule, contributions from corporations are prohibited by law.

Civil Service. The real business of the political party is to determine the policies of the government. The policies of the government should be those desired by the majority. Voters organize into political parties in order to make sure that the policies they desire and approve are carried out. This real service of the political party is lost if the political party becomes merely a party of office seekers. To keep the party from seeking the "spoils" of public office, appointment to such offices should be made on merit.

The Civil Service or Merit system of appointing officers is now applied to most national and city offices. The exceptions include important commissions and cabinet