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Suggested Reading

Maxey, Chester C. An Outline of Municipal Govern

ment. (1924)

Munro, W. B. Municipal Government and Administration. (1923)

LAW MAKING

CHAPTER XIII

MISREPRESENTATION

The prime function of our legislatures is to reflect the opinion of the country. Thus only can they pass on questions of public policy with the assurance that they are carrying out the popular mandate. Such, at least, is the democratic theory of representative government. This being the case, it is apparent that the question: How accurately do our legislative bodies represent public opinion? deserves consideration. Only detailed analysis of past elections will enable us to arrive at sound conclusions. The conclusions inevitably reached, however, will probably surprise a great many readers.

The fact that in 1920 the Republicans carried the country by sixty per cent of the popular vote, while the Democrats polled only thirty-four per cent, is a fact too well known to need comment; but that the Republicans obtained sixty-nine per cent of the seats in the House of Representatives, is not such common knowledge. Nor has much emphasis been placed upon the fact that in 1918, although the Democrats carried the country, the Republicans carried the House. Two hundred and thirty-one seats were the just dues of

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