Election
in politics, the selection by voting of a person or persons to occupy some post or office. The most important elections are those of the members of the supreme legislative assem- ELECTION blies of the different countries, and as to the manner in which these are_carried out strict laws are in force. In such elections voting by ballot is now general. The chief forms of election in Great Britain are parliamentary and municipal elections, in both of which the basis of the suffrage (or right of voting) is the payment of poor-rates. Members of Parliament formerly required a property qualification in England and Ireland; but this restriction, which never existed in Scotland, has been abolished.
In both parliamentary and municipal elections the ballot has been in operation since 1872. For the prevention of bribery and corrupt practices many acts have been passed, of which that now in operation came into force in October, 1883, and has been annually renewed since 1884.
Jurisdiction of election laws of the United States extends to such officers of Federal Government as are elective, viz., the President, Vice-President and members of the House of Representatives. The election of officers of the State governments is regulated by the several State codes. The President and Vice-President are elected by a college of electors, which college is composed of as many electors as there are Senators and Representatives in Congress at the time of the election of such electors. The people vote directly for these electors. Members of Congress are elected as follows: Each State is entitled to two Senators in Congress, who are elected by the Legislatures of the several States; members of the House of Representatives are elected directly by the people. In general, it may be said that all citizens of the United States are entitled to vote except those residing in the District of Columbia. In 1870 persons of African descent were given the right to participate in elections.
The several States have enacted laws for the regulation and management of their local elections, embracing the choice of the officers of the State, city and county. The constitutions of the several States secure to citizens the right of suffrage. The laws of each State provide the means of effecting the ends of the constitution, and prescribe the qualifications of voters, which vary somewhat in the different States. In all the States the following qualifications may be classed as universal: That the elector shall be over 21 years of age, neither a lunatic nor a pauper, and prepared to take, if necessary, an oath of allegiance to the Federal Government. The length of residence in the State previous to an election is fixed by the State law and varies in the different States. Some ELECTIVE COURSES tion or ability to read and write.
ELECTIVE COURSES. Those subschools which a student chooses to take, but which are not required for the comschools which a student chooses to take, but which are not required for the completion of his school or college course. Prior to 1880 the number of electives in the standard colleges of the United States was small, the students' course consisting of one largely mapped out for him by the college authorities. The only exceptions to this were found in the Western col colleges and State universities which allowed a wide latitude of choice to the student. Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania all required Greek, Latin, and higher mathematics for the Bachelor of Arts degree. In a few of the Eastern colleges a course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science was offered, but for the Arts degree, the above work was required for at least the first two years of college work. Greek was the first to be taken from the required list, and by 1920 the study of that language was no longer obligatory for those aiming for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Mathematics is required only as far as plane and solid geometry and plane for the Arts degree, but not anything like the amount of time needs to be spent upon it in college as formerly. In fact, in all but one or two colleges a four upon it in college as formerly. In fact, Latin will enable the student to be a candidate for the Arts degree. This years' course in the preparatory school Latin will enable the student to be a cally increased the number of elective ones so that in 1920 the college student has virtually a free field. This situation, of course, is not duplicated in the technical schools where the work must of necessity be prescribed. The latitude of choice given students in the Arts course varies with the different universities. At Harvard, after the student has entered, his course is entirely elective. At Princeton there still remain a few subjects which are required. Quite a few of the universities have adopted the "group system," that is, allowing the students to choose among groups of related subjects. The fears expressed by many of the conservative schoolmen that with the elective system the students would choose all the easy courses and avoid the diffijects. The fears expressed by many of among the faculty to be appointed, with ng out whose consent his roster is not complete. Because of the "groups" and the faculty "advisors" this evil has not been a serious one, or at least is not so reout whose consent his roster is not com- ELECTORAL REFORM The increase of elective courses in college and the variety of degrees offered by the universities led to an increase in elective students in the secondary schools.
Those students who showed a disposition to prefer scientific studies to the ancient languages were allowed to drop the latter. As we have seen, such students can always secure the Bachelor of Science degree, and not a few can obtain the Arts degree upon the completion of their college course. This elective, then, is offered by nearly all the high schools and private academies, with the exception of the New England private schools where the ancient languages still retain their traditional place. By reason of the fact that the colleges as yet prescribe closely the work which is necessary for entrance, the secondary schools have not been able to increase the number of their are now doing so more and more, but elective studies. The public high schools that is largely because less than onethird of their students ever enter college.