LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE USA

INTRODUCTION: The American federal system is made up of three levels of government-local, state, and national. For many Americans, it is the local level of government that most affects their daily lives. It is the local level that is closest to home. It is the local level that provides water, electricity, police protection, and street repair. And, it is on the local level that most citizens first become involved in politics. In this unit, you will learn about the way local governments meet the needs of American communities. Special attention is given to the structure of local governments, local policymaking, and local issues.

TEXT 1: WHAT ARE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS?

It is hard to imagine living in today's modern, complex world without the services of local governments. In fact, it is local govern­ments that give us many of today's "modern" conveniences – running water, sewage treat­ment, electricity, emergency services, hospi­tals, highways, subways, and airports, to name only a few.

Many citizens today are unfamiliar with the workings of local governments. Yet, local governments affect the lives of citizens every day, from early morning until late at night.

Local governments are those units of government found within a state. Their purpose is to serve the needs of local communities. It is important to note the "s" in local governments. Unlike government on the national or state levels, there are many different governments on the local level. Among these are counties, cities, and towns. Each has its own duties. And, each has its own organizational structure.

Many local governments serving Ameri­can communities today are quite old. Some even are older than the United States itself - older than the national and state governments. Monmouth County, New Jersey, for example, was organized in 1683. The city of Boston, Massachusetts, was first settled in 1630. Charleston, South Carolina, was founded in

1670. Most local units, however, do not have such long histories. In fact, new local governments are created across the country each year.

NUMBER. Local units are by far the most numerous governments in the United States. There is one national government, of course, and there are 50 state governments, the remaining 83.186 are all local.

One reason there are so many local governments is that they serve the thousands of communities found across the country. It is important to note, however, that as the needs of communities change, local governments respond. To better serve a community, existing governments may be combined or new govern­ments created. As a result, the exact number of local governments in the United States is constantly changing.

The thousands of local governments found in the United States are not distributed evenly across the country. The number varies greatly from one state to another, and from one community to another. In the state of Illinois, for example, there are 6,464 local govern­ments. There are 1,060 of these local units in the Chicago area alone. Throughout the entire

state of Hawaii, however, there are only 19 local governments.

Because local governments are so numer­ous, their boundaries often overlap. It is not uncommon to find many different local governments covering the same area.

AUTHORITY. The powers of local governments are set by the state in which they are found. The states alone decide what authority local governments will have and what duties they will carry out.

The relationship between local govern­ments and the states, then, is quite different from the relationship between the states and the national government. Under the plan of government established by the Constitution, the national government and the states share the power to govern. This is the basis of the federal system.

The Constitution, however, does not give local governments powers to share with the states. Instead, local authority is decided by each state. Local governments are created by the states and exist at the will of the states. The states even may do away with local units of government if they wish.

The relationship of local governments to the states, then, is not federal, but unitary.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 914