American Governemnt Chapter 11 Part 2

State Supreme Court

The highest state court

Jury

Group chosen to issue a verdict in a case (grand/trial)

Witness

may be called on to testify under oath

Counties

The largest unit of local government in America

County Board

elected governing body

Sheriff

elected leader of law enforcement

County Assessor

appraises taxable property within the country

District Attorney

prosecutes criminals in the county

Coroner

investigates cause of death when it happens under unknown or unusual circumstances

County Supervisor

the “president” of the county

County Manager Plan hires a community manager who has executive power over the country

Town

most important form of government in colonial America

Township

lead by a direct democracy; town meeting for with selectmen

Municipal Government

Government of town and cities

Unincorporated

a community that does not have a government of its own

City Charter

legal document granted by the state which outlines a form of government for the city

Mayor-council Form

popularly elected officials; oldest, most widely used form of city government

Commission Form

popularly elected commissioners head the government

Council-manager Form

council serves as legislative, policy-making branch and appoints a manager; mayor is weak

Planning Commission

city planning agency

Zoning

dividing the land in a town/city for different purposes

Suburbs

developed areas outside of city limits

Annexing

when a city acquires land that borders its own

Extraterritorial Powers

regulatory powers exercised outside of city limits

Metropolitan Area

major city and the populated area surrounding it

Sales Tax

The most important source of revenue for state governments

Selective Sales Tax

used for popular items (alcohol, gas, etc.)

Progressive Income Tax

paying more taxes the higher the income is; progressive

Corporate Tax

business “income tax”; uniform

Property Taxes

divided into real (land, buildings) or personal (possessions)

Tangible

physician objects

Intangible

investments, stocks, etc.

Assessment

local governments will employ assessors to determine the value of personal and real property

Business Tax

all states require businesses to pay taxes to operate (business license)

Severance Tax

tax for the removal of natural resources

Utility Fees

common household utilities (water, electricity, trash) that usually have a monthly fee

Gambling

casinos and lottery tickets have heavy fees put on winnings

Parishes

What are Counties also called?

County Seat

The town where the government is located

Direct Democracy

what is a township led by?

Incorporated

To become a municipality, the town/city must be

School districts

What is the most common special district?

General Sales Tax

What do most states use?

Local government

Property tax is the main source of revenue for _

Real property

land, buildings

Personal property

possessions

Assessors

determines the value of personal and real property

Education and Construction

What are most state’s highest budgeted items?