The course of study. Conclusion. and assignments of reading are not dispensed with, the students learn most by doing practical work under the supervision of members of the staff. When conditions permit, students preparing for executive positions in public life are taken into the field with members of the staff who are conducting surveys, and used in the less important work of the survey. When administrative problems arising in connection with a particular piece of work are discussed in staff conferences, training school students are present to profit by the discussions and to participate in so far as they are qualified. Needless to say, the student soon acquires a clearer conception of government as a going concern and a better grasp of the fundamental principles of management, than could be obtained by any amount of contact with books alone, And the natural consequence is that the students of the training school are apt.to develop a practical sense and maturity of judgment that come from experience, as well as the background and vision that come from well-rounded study. Some conception of the character and scope of the city manager training may be had from the following list of the subjects included in the course of study: The structure and organization of municipal government; municipal charters; the relation of the city and the state; municipal home rule; statistics; civil service and salary standardization; assessment and collection of taxes; debt policies and fund management; budget making and administration; government purchasing; government accounting; management of municipal public works; street cleaning, and refuse disposal; management of parks and playgrounds; public health administration; management of charitable and correctional institutions; police administration; fire administration; municipal public utilities; management of public education." It is not contended that in this or any school city managers can be made to order, but only that the development of such schooling at New York and elsewhere is due to be an important factor in rounding out the success of the commission-manager movement. Questions on the foregoing Readings 1. Name some factors which influence legislation in this country. 2. To what extent is lack of responsibility an obstacle to intelligent legislation in this country? 3. What two kinds of advice does the legislator need in lawmaking? 4. What is meant by saying that lack of principle is a defect in American legislation? 5. Where and when was the first legislative reference bureau established? 6. What is the best way to improve legislation? 7. What is the importance of a library in helping the lawmaker? 8. Discuss the arrangement of documents, bills and other literature in a good legislative reference bureau. 9. What qualities should be possessed by the head of a legislative reference bureau? 10. What is the importance of a trained draftsman in legislation? II. Explain the lack of correlation in state administration. 12. What is meant by the "ineffective supervision" in state adminis tration ? 13. Explain the charge that the confused character of the state administrative offices often results in inadequate advice on legislation. 14. How does irresponsible government result from a defective arrangement of state administrative offices? 15. Explain how greater economy might be expected from a reorganization and consolidation of state administrative offices. 16. What would be the effect of such reorganization upon efficiency? 17. How might such reorganization render possible greater assistance in legislation? 18. How would such reorganization aid in securing responsible govern ment? 19. Give some examples of the economies which the Illinois Efficiency and Economy Committee expected to result from a reorganization of the state administration. 20. How were financial estimates for the Federal administration prepared previous to 1921? 21. Show how Federal expenditures were unsystematic before 1921. 22. What part did the committee system play in the handling of revenues and appropriations? 23. What was President Taft's conclusion as to the situation existing in national finances in 1911? 24. During what period of our history was the movement for budget reform most active? 25. Name the two essentials of a good budget. 26. Outline some of the more important things which a budget should contain. 27. What are the three chief forms of municipal government in the United States? 28. To what extent has commission government secured better public service? 29. Explain the error of supposing that good government may be secured merely by establishing a commission form of government. 30. Name some important advantages of commission government. 31. What is a great obstacle to the success of the city manager plan of government? 32. How does the New York Bureau of Municipal Research train individuals for city manager positions? 33. Name some of the courses of study at this institution. CHAPTER XXXVII THE EXTENSION OF POPULAR CONTROL 219. Constitutional provision for direct legislation 1 A recent and important movement in American politics is that Popular which is concerned with the extension of popular control. Two control methods of extending the direct control of the people over government are the Initiative and the Referendum, which, taken together, are known as Direct Legislation. Direct Legislation has been provided for in more than a third of the states, and in some of these by con- in Oklahoma: stitutional provision. Oklahoma, for example, entered the Union in 1907 with a constitution which contained the following provisions for the Initiative and the Referendum: reserved to the people. Section 1. The legislative authority of the state shall be vested Powers in a legislature, consisting of a senate and a house of representatives; but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution and to enact or reject the same at the polls independent of the legislature, and also reserve power at their own option to approve or reject at the polls any act of the legislature. Initiative Section 2. The first power reserved by the people is the initiative, The and eight per centum of the legal voters shall have the right to propose any legislative measure, and fifteen per centum of the legal voters shall have the right to propose amendments to the constitution by petition, and every such petition shall include the full text of the measure so proposed. The second power is the referendum, and it may be ordered (except and the Referendum. as to laws necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety), either by petition signed by five per centum of the legal voters or by the legislature as other bills are enacted. Section 3. Referendum petitions shall be filed with the secretary 1 From the Constitution of Oklahoma, 1907. Rules gov of state not more than ninety days after the final adjournment of erning Direct the session of the legislature which passed the bill on which the Legislation. Referendum on parts of an act. Powers Protective legislation. referendum is demanded. The veto power of the Governor shall not extend to measures voted on by the people. All elections on measures referred to the people of the state shall be had at the next election held throughout the state, except when the legislature or the Governor shall order a special election for the express purpose of making such reference. Any measure referred to the people by the initiative shall take effect and be in force when it shall have been approved by a majority of the votes cast in such election. Any measure referred to the people by the referendum shall take effect and be in force when it shall have been approved by a majority of the votes cast thereon and not otherwise. The style of all bills shall be: "Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oklahoma." Petitions and orders for the initiativ e and for the referendum shall be filed with the secretary of state and addressed to the Governor of the state, who shall submit the same to the people. The legislature shall make suitable provisions for carrying into effect the provisions of this article. Section 4. The referendum may be demanded by the people against one or more items, sections, or parts of any act of the legislature in the same manner in which such power may be exercised against a complete act. The filing of a referendum petition against one or more items, sections, or parts of an act shall not delay the remainder of such act from becoming operative. . Section 6. Any measure rejected by the people, through the powers of the initiative and referendum, cannot be again proposed by the initiative within three years thereafter by less than twenty-five per centum of the legal voters. Section 7. The reservation of the powers of the initiative and referendum in this article shall not deprive the legislature of the right to repeal any law, propose or pass any measure, which may be consistent with the constitution of the state and the Constitution of the United States. Section 8. Laws shall be provided to prevent corruption in making, procuring, and submitting initiative and referendum petitions. |