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HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

GIFT OF

GINN & CO.

DEC 11 1930

Copyright, 1922
By LAIDLAW BROTHERS

Incorporated

Acknowledgment of the authors and publishers is due Prof. C. B. Hudson, Depart
ment of Education and Prof. H. H. Bass, Associate Professor of History and Govern
ment, Central Missouri State Teachers College and to Miss Clella Stufft, Junior
High School Training Instructor. Montana State Normal College, Miss May Price,
Junior High School teacher, Public Schools of Dillon and Miss Elizabeth Sutherland,
Superintendent of Schools, Beaverhead County, Montana, who with helpful suggestions
assisted in the preparation of the manuscript and to Underwood and Underwood,
The South Park Commission of Chicago, The Committee on Americanization of The
Chicago Association of Commerce, for permission to use photographs from which some
of the illustrations were made.

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FOREWORD

For the past decade there has been an increasing emphasis placed upon the study of Civics in our schools. This movement began with a very definite tendency to criticise the old time Civil Government which dealt with a formal study of the Constitution of the United States-the qualifications, length of term, the duties of national officials-and a brief survey of the state government along similar lines. This criticism led to a complete change in the content of the civics course. Neighborhood problems were studied without much regard as to whether they were economic, social, historic or civic. Thus were developed the various courses known as community civics. They dealt with the problems of community life and left little time for the study of gov

ernment.

This movement was doubtless caused by the failure of the old type of Civil Government teaching to function in the life of the citizen. Much that was included in the newer courses was worthwhile and gave concrete subject matter that was of vital interest to the child, the future citizen.

This text has been prepared for the purpose of collecting the most worthwhile and important of the newer type of content and relating it to the great principles of government which have too often been forgotten in the desire to deal with local material that would arouse immediate interest. Here the principles of government and the concrete problems of the community are related in a logical and natural way that aids in the understanding of both.

The government-national, state and local—is treated as a unit composed of organized and articulated parts working in harmony for the accomplishment of the co-operative work which can be done better working together than any one or a small group can do working alone. The problems of government and community life are presented and the part that each organized unit bears in their solution is made clear. The material is so treated that the pupils who master the book cannot fail to have pride in the institutions that our government has made possible; nor will they lack in appreciation of what the government offers to its citizens in protection of life and property both at home

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