SYLLABUS OF CIVIC PROBLEMS. 49 



CHAPTER X. 



THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY. 



1. Foi'ms. 



a. Mayor and Council. 



b. Commission. 



c. Business Manager. 



2. Relative Worth. 



a. Mayor and Council. 



No fixing of responsibility. 



Lack of harmony in administration. 



Too many checks. 



Long ballot. 



b. Commission. 



Centralization of responsibility as to a given department. 



Longer term of office. 



Objections. 



Commission not necessarily fitted for the department. 



People do not elect experts. 



Great power in a few hands. 



c. Business Manager. 



Fixes responsibility. 



Provides for government by an expert. 



Encourages training for government positions. 



Better service. 



Short ballot. 



Objections. 



Undemocratic. 



Opportunity for machine politics. 



3. The City Council and Commission. 



a. How chosen. Tenn. 



b. Powers and duties. 



c. How subject to removal. 



4. The City Charter. What a modern charter should contain. 



a. Civil service for city employees. 



b. Initiative and referendum. 



c. Recall. 



d. Preferential primary. 



e. Provision for future ownership of public utilities. 



f. City accountant and modern system of accounting provided for. 



g. Publicity. 



h. Efficient management. 



5. The People's Responsibility. 



a. A good charter only an aid. 



b. Final test the standard of the people. 



Field Work. 



1. Visit a meeting of Mayor and Council and note the order of business. Infer as 



to the nature of the powers and duties of that body. Learn names of your 

 city officials. 



2. Make a chart of the charter of your city, showing how the different departments 



and the city officials are related to one another. (Teacher assist.) 



3. What officials (if any) may the people recall? 



4. Have they the poMer to initiate legislation? 



5. Have they the final word regarding a measure becoming a law? i. e., The Referen- 



dum? 



