Learn about local governments. Understand what local government is, learn how local governments work, and review different examples of local governments.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Local Government | Definition, Responsibilities & Examples
Table of Contents
- What is Local Government?
- City Government
- County Government
- Municipal Government
- Local Government Examples
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of local government?
The role of local government is to run the local city, town, or county. This involves managing public schools, the fire department, trash collection, etc.
What are the responsibilities of the local government?
There are numerous activities that local governments are involved in. Here are a few examples:
- Police departments
- Fire departments
- Libraries
- Local schools
- Utilities
Table of Contents
- What is Local Government?
- City Government
- County Government
- Municipal Government
- Local Government Examples
- Lesson Summary
What is local government? The definition of local government is the government of a town, city, or county. Towns, cities, and countries exist as divisions within a state. In other words, local government is subordinate to both the state and federal governments.
Different states have varying laws that deal with how local governments are formed, as well as how they function. For instance, some states give a great deal of authority to counties, while others provide counties with almost no real political power.
Local governments are the governments that ordinary people have the most direct control over. This is due to the fact that communities have much smaller populations than states or countries.
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What Does the Local Government Do?
Local governments are responsible for the day-to-day activities of the community. Here are some common local government responsibilities:
- Running the police department
- Running the local schools
- Running the trash collection service
- Running the fire department
- Issuing and collecting property taxes
- Animal control
- Passing ordinances (local laws)
- Plowing snow
- Maintaining roads (responsibility often shared with the state government)
- Zoning property
- Issuing certain types of licenses and permits
- Maintaining parks, beaches, and other public spaces
- Running municipal utilities
- Running libraries
How Does Local Government Work?
How does local government work? Cities, towns, and counties work in different ways in different states. However, generally speaking, local governments receive most of their funding via property taxes. This is a tax levied against property owned by a person or business. (It is important to note, however, that tax assessors do not work for local governments. State taxes are the responsibility of state governments.)
Local Government Structure
Almost all local governments are led by elected officials who act in a similar way as governors, congressmen, and presidents. On rare occasions, a state government may take over the government of a city or town when there is widespread corruption, bankruptcy, natural disasters, or other similar circumstances. In these cases, local control is eventually handed over back to the city or town. The specific structure of a local government varies, depending on the laws of the state. Usually, however, most local governments contain an executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch.
Local Government and State Government
All local governments must abide by the laws of their states. Just as U.S. states can not violate federal law, municipal governments are not allowed to partake in activities that violate the laws of the states in which they exist. For instance, the mayor of New York City can not appoint the district attorney of Manhattan. This can only be done by the voters of the borough of Manhattan or the governor of the state (when there is a vacancy).
Most states offer funding and other types of support to local communities. This involves funding for education, public services, the police, et cetera.
Local Government and Federal Government
Local governments must also abide by the U.S. Constitution and federal law. While this may seem like common sense, there have been many instances in U.S. history when local governments have undertaken actions that violate federal law. For instance, many local communities have tried to ban certain books. Federal courts have ruled that these actions violate the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Local governments may receive funding and assistance from the federal government. For instance, after 9/11, many local police departments received anti-terrorist training and supplies from Washington.
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City government definition and function:
Cities are communities that have a large number of people. City governments govern their respective cities and act in a similar fashion to state and national governments. The three largest cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Most cities have three branches of government: the executive branch, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch. The executive branch is headed by a mayor. The legislative branch is composed of a city council or other similar body. Mayor and councilmembers are usually elected. Municipal courts usually deal with things such as wills or traffic violations. Most major criminal and civil matters are dealt with by state courts.
Large cities can have enormous bureaucracies that are larger than those of some countries.
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County government definition and function:
County governments differ significantly from city governments. They do not directly govern the municipalities within the county. Instead, they mostly act in a support role, collectively aiding the communities that make up the county. The specific role of county governments differs from one state to the other. In Rhode Island, for instance, counties play very little role and have almost no political power. However, in other states, such as California, the county government has many important responsibilities. This includes maintaining a criminal court system and managing the water supply.
Counties are regional divisions of states that consist of several cities and towns; a county is the largest subdivision within a state. One example of a county government is Los Angeles County, which includes not only the city of Los Angeles but 87 other cities as well.
Town Government
Towns are municipalities with fewer inhabitants than cities. What determines whether or not a municipality is a city or a town depends on the laws of the state. Many towns can become cities after they make an application to the state government. This is often done when the town has reached a certain number of people.
Towns can be led by a town administrator or other similar type of official. Some towns do not even have a chief executive. They are administered collectively by a town council.
Town governments more or less have the same duties and responsibilities as city governments.
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The term "municipal" refers to cities and towns, but not to counties. Municipal governments can pass local laws, while counties lack this authority. This is the main difference between municipal governments and county governments.
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The government of the city of Chicago in the state of Illinois is an example of a local government. The chief executive of the city is the mayor of Chicago. As of 2021, the current mayor is Lori Lightfoot. She runs America's third-largest city, with a population of approximately 2.71 million people. The legislative branch of the Chicago city government is called the Chicago City Council. It is made up of elected officials called alderman, who act much like members of Congress. The Chicago City Council is a unicameral body. This differentiates it from the bicameral makeup of the US Congress and all state assemblies. Each alderman represents a section of Chicago called a ward. A ward is analogous to a congressional district.
The city of Chicago does not have its own local court system. Courts in Chicago are run by the county government. In this case, Chicago is part of Cook County, which includes a number of other cities in the Chicago area.
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City, town, and county governments are all examples of local governments. City and town governments are municipal governments. This means that they can pass local laws. County governments do not have this power. However, county governments are the largest subdivision of government within a state.
A law passed by a local government is called an ordinance. Local governments have many responsibilities, including enforcing laws, running libraries, maintaining parks, and running city utilities. Tax assessment is usually not part of local government.
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Video Transcript
Local Government
Have you ever received a speeding ticket? If so, then you've dealt with your local government. The police officer was likely a city employee, and you probably appeared in or made a payment to the city court.
Local government is the public administration of towns, cities, counties and districts. Notice that this type of government includes both county and municipal government structures. It can be challenging, but these entities must work together to administrate a particular geographic area. For example, I grew up in a small town called Pryor. It's located in Mayes County, Oklahoma. My local government therefore included both the administration of Pryor and the organization of Mayes County.
As citizens, we have much more contact with our local governments than we do with the federal government. This is because local government runs our city utilities, libraries, fire departments, public swimming pools, parks, local law enforcement and many other areas of our everyday lives.
The organization of local governments varies depending on the state. However, all local governments derive their authority from the state in which they are located. The city of Pryor and Mayes County get their governmental authority from Oklahoma's state constitution.
As with state governments, the citizens of an area elect most of their local government officials. This includes mayors, county commissioners, city councils, sheriffs and many other local government positions at both the county and city levels.
Counties
Let's first take a look at county government. County government is the public administration of a county, borough or parish. Usually, county governments are the largest political subdivision within a state. A county government's main function is to locally administer state laws. Note that counties do not have their own laws, though they do collect their own taxes. This means that counties have important powers and responsibilities in the administration of a particular geographic area, without being able to make the rules that will pertain to that area.
Elected officials head county governments. The highest-ranking county official is typically known as the county commissioner or county supervisor. Other common county officials include:
- County judges
- County or district attorneys
- County clerks
- County treasurers
- Sheriffs
- Tax assessor-collectors
- Justices of the peace
- Constables
- County auditor
Each county has a county seat, which is a town that serves as the capital of that county. The county offices and county courts are usually located in the county seat. My town, Pryor, serves as the county seat of Mayes County. Our county offices can be found in our county courthouse, which is located in our small downtown.
Municipalities
Now let's take a look at municipal government. Municipal government is the public administration of a township, village, borough, city or town. These government structures can be large or small because municipalities vary greatly in size. For example, remember that I grew up in Pryor, Oklahoma. My town had fewer than 10,000 citizens. However, now I live in Dallas, Texas. Dallas has over 1.2 million citizens, not including the suburbs.
Larger cities can have a complicated government structure involving thousands of personnel. Sometimes these governments face challenges with government oversight, meaning not all areas of the government are properly supervised and problems sometimes go unaddressed. For example, citizens of Dallas can expect to wait months for a city inspector to investigate a complaint about an abandoned property.
Municipal governments run such services as:
- Parks and recreation
- Police
- Fire
- Housing services
- Emergency medical services
- Municipal courts
- Public transportation services
- Public works
Administrative personnel vary by city, though the highest-ranking municipal official is usually known as a mayor or a city manager. The powers and responsibilities of this official vary by municipality. Note that while mayors are almost always elected, city managers are sometimes appointed.
Also note that municipalities, unlike counties, often have their own laws. The municipality and its residents must follow federal and state laws. However, the municipality can additionally enact municipal ordinances. A municipal ordinance, or city ordinance, is a law, rule or regulation made and enforced by a city government. For example, laws regarding parking, waste disposal and noise pollution are municipal ordinances.
Municipal ordinances are usually enacted by the city council. Once enacted, an ordinance becomes a part of that city's municipal code.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. Local government is the public administration of towns, cities, counties and districts. Local government includes both county and municipal government structures.
County government is the public administration of a county, borough or parish. County governments are the largest political subdivision within a state and mostly function to administer state laws.
Municipal government is the public administration of a township, village, borough, city or town. Municipalities have municipal ordinances, which are laws, rules or regulations made and enforced by a city government. The ordinances are usually enacted by the city council and become a part of that city's municipal code.
Learning Outcomes
Once you are finished reviewing this lesson you should be able to:
- Define and discuss the authority of county and municipal government
- Recall different officials that can work for county or municipal governments
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Local Government | Definition, Responsibilities & Examples
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