Government in the United States, National, State and Local — A Reader’s Guide

Coinage as a Window into Federal Power

The excerpts devote substantial space to the history of U.S. coinage, from the Acts of 1792 and 1834 to the demonetization of silver in 1873 and the subsequent restoration in 1878. Garner explains the shift from bimetallism to the gold standard, noting that the silver dollar's metal value fell to 'only about forty-six cents in gold.' This detailed treatment of monetary policy—complete with specific dates, laws, and economic consequences—illustrates how the book uses concrete legislative history to teach constitutional principles. The catalog subject 'United States -- Politics and government' is thus realized through a case study of federal authority over currency, a power Garner traces from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. The excerpts do not, however, connect this to broader political debates or party platforms, leaving the reader to infer the partisan dimensions of the 'free coinage' issue.

The Preface's Promise vs. the Excerpts' Evidence

Garner's preface claims to emphasize 'the activities and methods of political parties, party conventions, primaries, the conduct of political campaigns, and the like.' Yet the excerpts contain no such material; they focus instead on local government structures (towns, townships, counties) and the history of coinage. This discrepancy suggests that either the excerpts are unrepresentative or the book's advertised emphasis on party dynamics is confined to later chapters not included here. The preface also mentions a chapter on citizenship and appended 'search questions' to encourage independent thinking, but the excerpts provide no examples of these. Readers should therefore approach the text as a hybrid: a formal institutional analysis that occasionally ventures into policy history, but whose treatment of political parties remains unverified by the available evidence.

Local Government as the Foundation

The table of contents reveals that the book begins with local government—towns, townships, counties, cities, and villages—before ascending to state and national levels. This bottom-up structure is unusual for a civics textbook of the era, which often started with the federal Constitution. Garner's preface confirms this design, stating his aim to present 'the leading facts concerning the organization and activities of national, state, and local government.' The excerpts, however, offer no details on local governance; they jump directly to national coinage. This gap between the book's architecture and the surviving text means that the reader must rely on the table of contents to understand the full scope. The catalog subject 'United States -- Politics and government' thus encompasses a multi-level approach, but the excerpts alone cannot substantiate how Garner treated townships or city charters.

Readers of this edition should note that the excerpts represent only a fraction of Garner's comprehensive textbook. The emphasis on coinage history, while informative, may not reflect the book's overall balance. To fully assess Garner's treatment of political parties, state governments, and local administration, one would need to consult the complete text. The catalog subject 'United States -- Politics and government' is accurate but broad; this work's value lies in its detailed policy examples and its pedagogical structure, both of which are partially visible in the available material.

There’s something tender about old textbooks like Government in the United States—they assume the republic will simply continue, coinage and all. I found myself lingering on that thought while reading Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 2 (of 7) — Themes and Context, where the same earnest voice speaks from the other side of ceremony, quieter than history remembers. Both feel like letters from a steadier room.