CHAPTER XXV.

DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.

Congressional Districts. For convenience, the state is separated into districts for various purposes. United States senators are elected by the general assembly in joint convention, from the state at large. Representatives in the

lower house of congress are apportioned among the several states according to their population, and Iowa now has eleven members in that house. The state is separated into eleven congressional districts, and the ratio of representation is one representative for every one hundred and seventy-three thousand, nine hundred and one persons in the United States, as determined by the last census.

Senatorial Districts.-The state is separated into fifty senatorial districts, and each district elects one member of the state senate. There is at present no fixed ratio of representation for senatorial districts, but the intention is to form the districts so that each senator shall represent about twice as many inhabitants as a state representative does.

Representative Districts.-There are ninety-three representative districts, and as these districts choose one hundred representatives, some of the districts must choose more than one member. There are seven districts that choose two members each. They are Pottawattamie, Polk, Scott, Clinton, Linn, Woodbury, and Dubuque counties. The ratio of representation is one representative for every thirty-six thousand inhabitants, or major fraction thereof.

Judicial Districts.--There are twenty judicial dis. tricts in the state. These districts are formed by act of the general assembly, and they are subject to change at any time by law. There is no basis of population for determining the size of judicial districts.

state.

Table of Districts.-The accompanying table will be found useful in studying the district organization of the In the proper columns, after each county name, will be found the number of each kind of district to which that county belongs.

COUNTIES OF IOWA.

THE NATION.

CHAPTER I.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.

Origin of Government.-From the earliest history there have always been leaders among men, and from the apparent necessity for leaders in all classes and conditions of society, systems of governments have been developed. When there were few people on the earth, government was a simple matter, for when the interests of individuals seemed to conflict, trouble was avoided by the withdrawal of one to the right hand, and of the other to the left.

Patriarchal.-The parental, or patriarchal, was very naturally the earliest form of government, and it is even now an essential element, in fact, the foundation of all good popular government. In early Jewish history, the theocratic form came into existence, and the ten commandments, or decalogue, became the recognized constitution of that people.

Monarchial.-When a crisis arose in the history of any nation, it was perfectly natural for the people to seek some prominent person from their own number to serve as their leader, or for some self-appointed leader to undertake the work of saving the nation. The monarchial form of government, or a government by one person, was easily developed from the parental form, and some of the mos1 powerful governments of all ages have been monarchies.