PREFACE THIS book is intended to describe county and township government in the United States. In addition to this description there is developed throughout the volume a consistent plan for the reorganization of county government which is summarized in chapter fifteen. It is hoped the book will be considered suitable for use in colleges and universities as the basis for a course of study in county and township government. For one reason or another this field has been neglected in the class room. And yet the average citizen comes in contact with offices and institutions of local government much more frequently than he does with the organs of state and national government. It is hoped therefore that this volume will stimulate teachers of political science to offer courses on local government in those institutions where it has been neglected, and serve as an aid to those who are already teaching courses in this subject. Variations in type were found to be so numerous as almost to discourage any effort to continue with the work. It seems as if for every definite statement concerning an office or institution of local government forty-seven qualifying comments must be added. Yet out of all these variations it has been possible to pick certain very essential facts about local government in general; and the purpose has been to present them without undue confusion. The nature of local government, the historical origins, the characteristic types to be found in the United States today, the legal status of |