Chapter 15

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. What, according to Lord Bryce, are the essential intellectual traits of the masses of the American people? (Bryce, pages 825-826.)

2. Lord Bryce says that "there are elements in the life of the United States which may well make a European of any class prefer to dwell there rather than in the land of his birth." What are these elements? (Bryce, pages 870-873.)

3. What comment does Lord Bryce make upon the quality of humor in the American character? (Bryce, page 876.)

4. What three advantages does the United States have over European countries in the matter of grappling with modern problems? (Bryce, page 912.)

5. Explain the statement that "Democracy rests on faith." (McLaughlin, pages 181-182.)

6. What is meant by the statement that "Democracy is fundamentally a matter of human relationships"? (McLaughlin, pages 189-190.)

7. What, according to Lord Bryce, are the four chief defects of American democracy? (Bryce, page 632.)

8. What are the essential qualities which civic education should aim to cultivate? (Dunn, pages xi-xii.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

I

1. Make a list of the problems which in any way affect you as a citizen in the community. List these problems in the order in which they occur to you, or are discovered by you. Comment upon the confused and disorderly appearance of the problems so listed.

2. Classify the problems on your list according as they are economic, social or political.

3. Classify the problems on your list according as they are local, state or national.

4. Comment upon the complexity and inter-relationship of the problems so classified.

5. What agencies, public, semi-public, or private, are studying the problems on your list?

6. What difference of interest do the citizens of your community show in local, state and national problems?

II

7. Defects of democratic government the world over. (Bryce, _Modern Democracies_, vol. ii, pages 452-454.)

8. The background of the problems of American democracy. (Merriam, _American Political Ideas_, chapter i.)

9. The hindrances to good citizenship. (Bryce, _Hindrances to Good Citizenship_.)

10. The promise of American life. (Croly, _The Promise of American Life,_ chapter i.)

11. Attitude of the individual in a democracy. (Hughes, _Conditions of Progress in Democratic Government_.)

12. The power of ideals in American history. (Adams, _The Power of Ideals in American History_.)

13. Ideals of citizenship. (Woodburn and Moran, _The Citizen and the Republic_, chapter xx.)

14. The future of democracy. (Bryce, _Modern Democracies_, vol. ii,