State and Local Legislature

Local Government (and its subsections)

local is easier to participate in because of proximity

counties

townships

municipalities/cities

special districts (and tribal govs)

counties

largest state subdivision

number of counties and their size, population, and power varies by state

recently some counties have assumed municipality powers

county board

governs most counties

name varies (county board of supervisors, county council, board of county commissioners, board of freeholders)

decide county budget, taxes, zoning codes

members are popularly elected

zoning codes

rules specifically how land in parts of a city/county can be used

what types of buildings can be built and where (ex. which lands are reserved for parks)

county legislative branch

usually separate from exec branch

in some counties, county board has both legislative and executive branches,

municipality

generic, any subdivision of a state (besides a county)

any number of residents, and territorial area

cities vs municipalities

states decide what they’re called

cities generally have certain population and area

charters

local constitutions

spell how laws are made and that local government’s powers

3 basic forms of city and municipality government

mayor-council form

council-manager form

commission form

mayor-council form and council-manager form

elected city council serves as legislative body for city

executive power within the mayor/city manager

commission form

elected commissioner has legislative and executive power

commission members serve as heads of city departments

most city councils

fewer than 10 members

4 year terms

usually elected from city at large

ordinances

city councils pass them

zoning and land use, mass transit, violence prevention, economic and workforce developments, homelessness, etc

townships

units of local government

20 states have them (New Eng and Midwest)

in 1600s, early New England settlers started townships

divisions of counties

services vary

Thomas Jefferson says they’re the “perfect self government”

historical townships

governed with DIRECT RESIDENT PARTICIPATION

town meetings

true direct democracy!!! (citizens rule themselves, don’t elect representatives)

selectmen (citizen-elected, administer government between town meetings and DONT MAKE LAWS)

key elements of direct democracy that townships embodied

universal participation

political equality

majority rule

special districts

units of local gov

deal with a specific function (education, firefighting, trash, water, transport)

MOST COMMON TYPE OF LOCAL GOV!

states limit power to local gov besides special districts, so they make many of them

school districts

governed by elected local body SCHOOL BOARD

hire/fire SUPERINTENDANTS (they run day-to-day school operations)

determine school system budget and decide programs and facilities

set policies

tribal governments

over ½ of states have them

over 500 tribes have them

levy taxes, pass own laws, operate own court system

sometimes a 3 branch government