The Election of the President. The campaign continues until the election day in November, when the voters render their decision. They do not vote for a President directly, but for electors as the Constitution provides (146). Since these electors are nominated and elected by a party they are morally bound to vote for the candidate of the party which elected them, and no elector has ever proved unfaithful to the party that elected him. The President is, therefore, really elected at the polls. The electors chosen in November meet in their respective States in January and vote for President and Vice-President. The results of this vote are despatched from the several States to the President of the Senate at Washington and on the second Wednesday in February Congress meets to count the votes. The person receiving the majority of the votes cast for President is declared to be elected, and the person receiving the majority of the votes cast for VicePresident is declared to be elected. When no person receives a majority of all the electoral votes, the Constitution provides that the House of Representatives shall choose a President and the Senate a Vice-President, and states precisely how the election shall be conducted (148). Direct Nominations. In many States the convention system of nominating candidates has been abandoned and nominations are made by a direct vote of all the voters of the party. Under the plan of direct nominations the voters "go to a primary meeting, which is managed in practically the same way as a regular election, and vote directly for the candidates whom they wish to represent their party at the next election." In other words, under the direct system the voters select their own candidates; they do not entrust the selection to party representatives. QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT 1. What services do political parties render when they nominate candidates for office! 2. Give an account of the development of party organization in the United States. 3. Describe the permanent organization of a political party. 4. Give an account of the primary meeting and point out the importance of the meeting. 5. Describe the party conventions above the primary meeting. 6. Give an account of a presidential campaign. 7. What is the duty of a presidential elector? SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES 1. Are primaries in this State legalized? If they are not is there a strong sentiment in favor of legalizing them? 2. Are the politicians whom you personally know better or worse than their neighbors? (Avoid using or suggesting any names.) 3. How many electoral votes has this State? 4. What Presidents were elected by Congress? 5. Show that it is possible for a man to be elected President without receiving a majority of the votes cast. 6. Show that it is possible for a single vote at the polls to decide a presidential contest. Topics for Special Work.-The Nomination of Candidates: 25, 3478. Presidential Leadership: 12, 25-41. Party Finance: 12, 218-229. The National Convention: 2, 473-485. For the subject of Direct Nomination see "Primary Elections" by C. E. Merriam. What the Party Machine Has to Do: 30, 373-378. XXXI THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT Introductory. In the first part of this treatise the great principles and fundamental ideas of the American political system were considered, and in the second part the formal organization of the several grades of government which are included in that system were studied. In this, the third part, we shall be concerned with the functions, or, as we may say, the services, of our government; but before we take up the particular topics of this division of our work it will be best to glance at the subject of governmental functions in general. The Scope of Governmental Activity. The services rendered by the different governments of the earth vary with the racial instincts and the character of the civilization of the people whom the governments serve. As a general rule Teutonic and Anglo-Saxon peoples who are true to their political instincts are jealous of governmental authority, and are inclined to be chary of increasing the governmental functions, while Latin and Oriental peoples regard government with kindlier feelings, and are lavish in according power to it. The functions of government vary not only from country to country, but they also change in the same country from year to year. It follows, therefore, that any enumeration of the functions of government must be more or less typical in character. Such an enumeration is nevertheless useful, for it gives a general notion of the scope and nature of governmental activity. A typical progressive government does the following things: |