POLITICAL RELATIONS WITH THE LAND

There is another way in which government establishes relations between the people and the land.  Citizens of the United States have certain political rights and duties, such as voting, holding office, and paying taxes.  These rights may be enjoyed and the duties performed only within certain districts which the government creates for this purpose.  Thus, a citizen has a right to vote within the state where he lives, but not in any other state.  He must cast his vote within his own county, township, and precinct.  The boundaries of the states are established by the national government (except the original thirteen states of the Union, whose boundaries were fixed before the national government was organized); but they may not be changed afterward without the consent of the states affected.  The states organize their own counties and townships [Footnote:  In the public land states the political township usually, but not always, corresponds with the township surveyed by the national government.  See pp. 194-196.] and other districts.  Villages and cities are granted definite boundaries by the state, and organize themselves into wards and precincts.  There are legislative, congressional, judicial, and revenue districts, the boundaries of which are fixed by state and national governments.  Locally, there are school districts.  The boundaries which separate one nation from another are determined by agreement, or treaty, between the nations concerned.  Uncertainty or indefiniteness in regard to national boundary lines has been the cause of much international strife, and was an important factor in the European war begun by Germany in 1914.

If you live in a “public land” state, for what uses have public lands been given to the state?  Have the school lands in your state been wisely used?

Is it easy for a young man to acquire a farm in your locality? to keep up improvements on a farm that he owns?  Has it been easy for a farmer in your locality to borrow money? (Consult parents and friends.)

Have the farmers of your locality made much use of the Federal Farm Loan Act?  Do they think it is a good law?

Have you heard of forced sales of land in your community to pay taxes?

Do you know of cases of the exercise of the right of eminent domain in your community?  For what purposes?  Was it exercised by local, state, or national government?

In what ways does government control the use to which you may put the land on which you live?

In what township do you live? school district? congressional district? state legislative district? revenue district?

READINGS

Annual reports of the Secretary of the Interior.

Annual reports of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, Department of the Interior, Washington.