This is an american city. A city that is not very large. Not very rich. Not very old. It is situated in the western part of the United States. In california. Its name is riverton. The woman in the car is mrs. Dawson, one of rivertons 15,000 residents. She is pirincipal of Public School number two but today there will be no classes held here, for this is election day. This classroom is one of the 130,000 places the country over in which american citizens are going to cast their votes today. This is the table where the voters names will be checked. A locked ballot box, and the polling booth. Here it is in the privacy of this curtain space that the American Voters every four years on the first tuesday after the first monday in november choose their national government. Here comes the colleagues on the election board at riverton seventh precinct each represent wung of the Major Political parties. Mr. Schwartz is a republican and worked for the street car company. Also a housewife and democrat. Mrs. Dawson is chairman. Theyve all known one another for years. First they remove the last traces of their campaign activities. Their party buttons. Then they take the oath. I swear to defend the constitution of the United States of america and perform the diets as member the of the election board to the best of your aint so help you god. I do. I do this makes them responsible for seeing that the voting here today takes plass acco place according to the laws of the land. And now the polls are open. Here comes the first voter. No wonder hes first. Hes been up since 4 00 delivering milk. Good morning, everybody. Youre the very first one. Right on the dot. Always like to vote early, give republican as temporary lead. Heres your ballot. Flight there. Thats as far as we can go. Remember, this is a secret vote. No one ever sees another person mark his ballot. However, if we did have miraculous powers, and if we were able just this once to follow bill johnson, this is what wed see. He votes first for the chief executives. The president and Vice President of the United States. Next he votes for a senator from his state. Then a representative from his district. This man is casting his vote for a government of his own choosing under the constitution of the United States. This is the way its set up. There are three branches of the United States government. The executive branch, or president , the legislative branch, or the congress, and the judicial branch, or Supreme Court. The duties of each branch are established in the constitution. Lets see how they work. The president is the executive head of the nation. He initiates all important policies, such as treaties with other governments and the contact of national affairs. He is the commanderinchief of the army. And the navy. And an important dplgs a wartime election. The Vice President is the president s legal successor. The president keeps him informed and matters of the state and policy. The Vice President by custom sits as a member of the president s cabinet. The cabinet members are the heads of the executive departments of the government. Such as the state department, war department, treasury department, department of the interior of labor, commerce and so on. The cabinet advises the president on matters of policy. The powers of the president and his helpers are limited. For this is a government not of men but of laws based upon the constitution. Congress makes the laws. It is a parliament which unlike many democratic parliaments has to direct connection with the executive branch. This branch of the government is made up of two houses. The senate and the house of representatives. A law may originate in either house but must be aproorproved both of them. When a bill is passed by both houses it is sent to the president. If the president also approved the bill, he signs it. It then becomes law. The president may veto a bill passed by the congress. But congress may still by twothirds majority make the bill law. Although the chief responsibility of congress is that of making laws, certainly other responsibilities are delegated to the two houses. In the senate, or upper house as it is called, each of the 48 states in the nation is represented by two elected members. Making a total membership of 96. Small states and large have equal representation in the senate. The senate has two important functions aside from its lawmaking duties. To pass on important president ial appointments and to approve or reject all treaties with other nations initiated by the president. When a treaty is under consideration, the members of the senate express their opinions. Either of approval or disapproval. And then a vote is taken. If twothirds of the Senate Approves of the treaty, it is ineffective. In the house of representatives, or lower house, each of the 48 states is represented in proportion to its population. The more populace of states has more members in the house of representatives. All measures dealing with appropriation of money for the nations use originate and are controlled in the lower house. The money appropriated is turned over to the president for expenditure. And the president with the afd the cabinet spends the money in the manner decided upon by the congress. Whether it be for purposes of peace or at war. Although the congress of the United States makes the laws of the land, its powers are also limited by the constitution. As a check on both executive and legislative branches of the government, there is a third branch. The judicial. The Supreme Court who members are appointed for life by the president. The Supreme Court protects the constitution from violation by congressional laws or executive orders. The three branches, executive, legislative and judicial, each with some power, none with all the power, check and balance each other in the manner intedded by the framers of the cons stukes. So that the ultimate power rests always in the hands of the voter, bill johnson. Having voted for a federal government he must also choose a governor for his state. Members of the state assembly, county judges, all of the minor offices and various legislative amendments. When bill johnson is finished, he has elected an entire government from top to bottomthat is, if majority of the voters think the way he does about it. The not only here in riverton that the voting is heavy today, all over the country people are conscious of the momentous issues facing their nation and the world. This is their way of expressing their conviction of how and by whom these issues should be met. The two major president ial candidates vote like all the other citizens. One of them in new york city describes himself as a lawyer. The other, up in the country where his home is, gives his occupation as farmer. For those who cannot come to the polls an absentee ballot is provided and the voting is supervised by the local notary. This is the same kind of ballot that in this wartime election is sent to members of the armed forces at home and abroad. These ballots are returned to be counted in their respective states. Here in river toton the line gr longer. The citizens are following the cons stubl provision and elections are held on schedule, rain or shine, panic or prosperity, peace or war. That on his sleeve is part of yesterdays history lesson. When mrs. Dawson reminded of two other national electionss in 1864 with the nation in the throes of a civil war, Abraham Lincoln one of americas greatest president s was imposed in a Bitter Campaign by one of his own generals. The people chose to reelect mr. Lincoln. In 1916, during the first world war, an election was held. And now again in 1944. Early in the summer nominating conventions are held. At this traditionally noisy political jamm beboreejamborees for the presidency of the United States. Now the candidates have been chosen. And the campaign is on for president and local sheriff. For three months all through the late summer and fall wherever people come together issues and men are discussed and argued about. Some feel that this isnt altogether a good thing, but a lot of time and energy are wasted this way. It may be, but that the way americans like to do it. They like to feel everybody has a right to speak and interested enough to do it. Even the small fry. Every attempt is made by all parties to influence the peoples thinking. All over the country week after week 140 million citizens take part in the great debate. Business, professional and civic groups endorse one candidate or the other. For the first time in American History organized labor takes an active part in the campaign. Radio plays a greater role than ever. Time on the air is paid for by all parties and distributed evenly among them. Given the party in office no advantage over its opponents. It is estimated that in the last days of the 1944 campaign, 70 million americans heard the speeches of the various candidates. Now all that is over, the heat and excitement. The votes are cast. The americans have agreed to accept the will of the majority, whatever it may be. Currently even the Younger Generation has declared peace. Now the election board begins its last duty. Counting of the votes. The figures are checked and doublechecked. Then they are telephoned to p headquarters. Hello . This is mr. Dawson, seventh precinct ready to report. From coast to coast precinct by precinct, city by city, state by state, the results are recorded. All over america tonight the people are waiting to learn whom they have chosen to govern them for the next four years. Towards midnight the final results are announced. A nation of 140 million has elected a government. And every saturday at 8 00 p. M. Each on American History tv on cspan3 go inside a Different College classroom and hear about topics ranging from the american revolution, civil rights and u. S. President s to 9 11. Thanks for your patience and logging into class. With most College Campuses closed due to impact of the coronavirus, watch professors transfer teaching to a virtual setting to engage with their students. Gore chauv dbachev did most work to change the soviet union but reagan met him half way. Reagan encouraged him. Reagan supported him. Freedom of the press, which well get to later i should mention, madison called it use of the press and it is indeed freedom to print and public things nor a freedom of institutionalizing the press. Lectures in history on American History tv on cspan3 every saturday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Lectures in history is also available at at podcast. Find it where you listen to podcasts. Youre watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3, created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Now on American History tv a newsreelstyle film from the u. S. Information agency about the 1960 president ial election from the nominating kwernconven th