spent. He wants to see that his Government gets the greatest possible value for its money.

THINGS TO DO

Questions to ask and answer in your study group:

1. In what way is a tax different from a debt?

2. Why cannot we sell all of our public lands and use the money to pay public bills?

3. What is meant by an "income tax"? Does your State place a tax on incomes?

4. What are the two kinds of "death taxes"? Which of our government groups use this kind of tax? Does your State have a "death tax"?

5. Name two kinds of property that the States are not free to tax.

6. Why do our States and cities compel bus companies to pay license taxes? Name two businesses in your city that use public property for purposes of private gain.

7. Name a tax that is direct. Give an example of a tax that is not direct. In what way is a direct tax better than one which is not direct? Why?

8. Why should a person be compelled to pay a special tax when the Government helps to improve the value of his property in some special way?

9. What is meant by a "budget"? What good purpose is served by a "budget"?

Complete each of the following:

1. The first job of every government is to

persons and property.

2. The tax that we pay on our gains from capital and labor is called an

tax.

3. The National Government does not use the property tax.

4. The State may tax the right to do business as a

5. The special tax for the right to do a certain thing in a certain way is called a tax.

6. When a person breaks a law he may be punished by having to pay a

7. When a tax is paid by one person and then passed along to another person, it is not a tax.

8. Legislation providing money to meet the budget must begin in the of __

9. The costs of Government are people.

by the

CHAPTER XIX

How Our Different Governments Work Together

"A thoughtful mind, when it sees a Nation's flag, sees not the flag only, but the Nation itself; and . . . he reads chiefly in the flag the Government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the Nation that set it forth."

-Henry Ward Beecher.

We learned early in this book that our Nation is made up of many government groups. They must work with one another in order to get things done. The States must work with the National Government. The Nation must work well with the States. The States must work with their cities. The cities must help the States.

WHY OUR GOVERNMENT GROUPS MUST WORK TOGETHER

One group alone cannot give us many of the things that we need. Suppose that a disease breaks out in one city. Other cities act to prevent the disease from spreading to them. But the cities may not be able to prevent it unless the State acts. The disease may spread from one State to another. The National Government must give help. This is only one example of how our government groups must help one another.

Our different governments work together in order to get their work done. If the different governments did not work together, our Nation would not be strong. Each State could go its own way. Each city could do as it pleases. Our different governments could not supply us with the services that we demand unless they helped one another.

WAYS IN WHICH THE NATION WORKS WITH THE STATES

The National Government is a government of the people. But the people live in States. The people must support the Government of the Nation and of the States. Rather than furnish certain services to the people in a direct way, the National Government helps the States to supply the services to the people. For example, it helps the States to build roads, to improve farm life, and to protect the riches of nature.

The National Government guards the States from attacks by foreign countries. We have already learned that the power to make war was delegated to the National Government. But in the event of war, the States help the National Government to raise soldiers. The States help to raise money to carry on the war. Also, if any State is not able to keep peace at home, it may call upon the National Government for help.

The National Government has a Supreme Court. Sometimes the States quarrel. They can ask the Supreme Court to decide the questions. At times, different States have claimed the same lands. They have asked the Supreme Court to decide to which State the lands belong. Sometimes a State controls its natural riches, such as gas and water, in a way that hurts other States. The States have gone to the Supreme Court to get the matter corrected.

The Constitution says that the State officers must take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States. It gives the National Government authority to make certain that the final authority in each State rests in the hands of the people. If a few men should take the final authority away from the people of a State, the Congress could act to correct the matter.

WAYS IN WHICH THE STATES WORK WITH THE NATION

The National Government depends upon the States for many things. It must work with the States. For example, the National Government does not take direct

After the colonies had declared their independence on July 4, 1776, a committee was asked to plan an official seal for the new Nation. The face of the Great Seal of the United States is shown above.

The Latin words, "E Pluribus Unum, me an one made up of many' or "from the many the one. They tell us that the United States is made up of many States, that we are one Nation with many people. You will find the Latin words printed on the money of the United States.

In the shield, the stripes represent the thirteen States. The band represents the Congress. The stripes are joined together by the band. This shows that the States are united in the Congress. The band rests on the stripes. This shows that the Congress depends upon the Union of the States for its support.

Figure 17

The Great Seal of the United States