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Summary of County and City Government

Summary

County governments can adopt the commission system, the council-administrator system, and the council-elected executive system of government to carry out their functions, which usually include the work of the sheriff, the county clerk, the assessor, the treasurer, the coroner, and the engineer. Municipal governments can use the mayor-council system or the council-manager system and manage services such as the provision of clean water, park maintenance, and local law enforcement. Cities and counties both rely on tax revenues, especially property taxes, to fund their provision of services.

Practice Questions

  1. What are the primary responsibilities of municipal governments?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having so many levels of subnational governments in the United States? Explain.
  3. In which level of substate government would you be most likely to get involved? Why?
  4. Is it preferable for representatives in the state legislature to behave as trustees or as delegates? Why?
  5. Do term limits seem to have more advantages or disadvantages? Defend your answer.

Sample Answer:

1. Municipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums. In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection.

Glossary

commission system: an elected commission that serves as the governing body within a given county

council-administrator system: an elected council that appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the county government

council-elected executive system: a county government in which voters elect both the members of the council and the executive

council-manager system: a structure of government in which elected members of the city council appoint a city manager to carry out administrative functions

mayor-council system: a structure of government in which both city council members and the mayor are elected by voters

This lesson is part of:

American State and Local Governments

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