ERICAN GOVERNMENT BY FREDERIC A. OGG, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND P. ORMAN RAY, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE IN NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1922 PREFACE This book is intended to supply, within reasonable compass, an account of the national, state, and local governments of the United States. The needs of the serious-minded general reader have not been ignored. But the person for whom the volume is primarily designed is the college student who finds himself enrolled in a general course in American government and politics in perhaps his sophomore year. It is with him in mind that three features, in particular, have been incorporated. The first is the innovation comprised in Part I. The college student is sufficiently mature to be brought into profitable contact with the more important elements, principles, and problems of political science in generalmatters which relatively few ever study in separate courses. Experience shows that such contact stretches the mind and widens the horizon to the student's great advantage when he comes to contemplate the American, or any other particular, governmental system. Definitions are established, concepts are worked out, background and perspective are gained, which result in both a saving of time and an enrichment of knowledge and interpretation. Nevertheless, the contents of this volume are so arranged that, at the instructor's discretion, Part I can be omitted altogether, or used only for occasional reference. The second feature that has been deliberately stressed is criticism of existing political institutions and practices. If defects ures seem sometimes to have been dwelt upon unduly, it 1 ་ ་ ལ་ ly with a view to developing in the student an inquiring, ing, critical attitude, and directing his thought along oking and constructive lines. A third feature, closely the attempt to emphasize principles, rather than strucprocedural details. The student of American govern**ut become master of a large body of facts. But he ought Stop there. Facts readily slip from the mind. Besides, abject to ceaseless change. Principles, points of view, influences and counter-influences, the reaction of human political tasks and situations-these are the things with V |