Unit III 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.

SERVICES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

You already know that local governments carry out a wide variety of services. Within the limits of state law, however, these services may vary from one area to another. This is because local governments reflect the customs, tradi­tions, goals, and values of the citizens they serve and the place in which they developed.

Other factors also affect the kinds of services provided by a local government. One such factor is population size. The city of Houston, Texas, for example, has a population of more than 2,900,000. The workings of local governments in Houston, serving nearly 3 million people, are much different from those of the small Connecticut town of Chester, with a population of 3,000.

Factors such as a community's location, climate, and natural resources also shape the workings of local governments. One service important to people living in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, for example, is snow removal. Such a service is not as vital to people living in communities in the Southwest. More important to those from warm, dry climates is water conservation. For this reason, many southwestern cities have local governments known as water conservation districts. The aim of these governments is to conserve water and plan for its use.

Whether large or small, urban or rural, or found in the Snow Belt or the Sun Belt, local governments carry out certain basic services for most citizens. Local governments provide police services and fire protection. They help settle conflicts and decide neighborhood issues. They keep local records. They provide public education. They repair roads and direct traffic. Some offer public transportation. Local governments care for the environment and oversee certain utilities. They collect the garbage and provide water treatment and sewage disposal. They offer health and welfare services. And, many local governments run recreational facilities and cultural centers.

To carry out their duties, local govern­ments depend on thousands of citizens. In fact, more citizens take part in the work of local governments than in both the national and state governments combined.

Comprehension questions:

1. What are local governments?

2. What is the purpose of local governments?

3. Why are local governments so numerous?

4. Are the powers of local governments set by the state in which they are found or by the National Government?

5. What factors affect the kinds of services provided by a local government?

6. What basic services do local governments carry out?

TASK 1. Translate from Russian into English:

1. Организация местного самоуправления относится, согласно 10-й поправке к конституции США, к ведению штатов.

2. Местный орган власти является уполномоченным органом штата, осуществляющим функции, которые, переданы законодательным органам штата, на уровень местного управления.

3. Каждый штат формирует свою систему местного самоуправления.

4. На территории штатов имеются различные местные юрисдикции, которым власти штатов делегируют часть своих полномочий.

TEXT 2: COUNTIES

For many citizens, the largest unit of local government in which they live is a county. First brought to America by the English settlers, county governments are local units that serve as the main administrative centers for most states. In Louisiana, counties are called parishes. In Alaska, they are called boroughs. There are only two states, Connect­icut and Rhode Island, that do not have coun­ty governments.

The first American counties were formed to serve rural areas. During colonial times and the early years of the republic, people often lived miles away from their nearest neighbor. For this reason, the original boundaries of some counties were decided by the distance settlers had to travel to reach the county seat. This was the town where county business was conducted. Boundaries were created that allowed most residents traveling by horse and wagon to reach the county seat within a day or two.

The American population has changed quite a bit since these early years. So, too, have county governments. Counties today serve both rural and urban areas. In fact, some counties, like San Francisco County in California, are made up of one large city.

NUMBER AND SIZE

Of the 83,186 local governments in the United States, counties are the fewest in number. There are 3,041 county governments spread across the country. The number of counties found within each state varies. The states of Delaware and Hawaii have the fewest with three each. Texas has the most with 254. Counties also vary in area and population size. A county may cover thousands of square miles or only a few. Сounty's citizens may number in the millions, or only a few thousand.

SERVICES

County governments carry out a variety of services. One of the most important is to help the state carry out its duties. Most counties help collect state taxes and administer state welfare programs. Counties also handle important election duties for the state. County workers register voters, prepare ballots, and set up polling places on Election Day.

Along with such state-related duties, county governments provide citizens with a wide range of other services. Counties, for example, play an important part in law enforcement through the county sheriffs department. County leaders see that local health and safety regulations are carried out. Counties also may have their own court systems and run their own jails. In most states, county governments repair county roads, take care of parks and recreation centers, and oversee waste disposal. Some counties also supervise local education systems.

Another important service of county governments is record-keeping. Citizens look to the county for information concerning property ownership and voter registration, for example. Others turn to the county to find records of births, deaths, or marriages. In many areas, such records go back to the 1800's, and even to the 1700's.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Just as the powers and duties of a county are set by the state, so, too, is its form of government. Most counties, however, share similar plans of government.

COUNTY BOARDS. The most im­portant governing body in most counties is the county board. A county board is a group of citizens who are elected by the people of a county to carry out the county's business. In some states, the county board is known as a board of commissioners. In others, it is known as a board of supervisors.

The number of members of a county board varies. Most have less than ten mem­bers. Some counties, however, especially those that contain large cities, have boards of up to 100 members. County boards usually have regular meetings, at least once a month.

Most county boards have both legislative and executive authority. That is, the boards have legislative duties in which they make laws. Such local laws are called ordinances. County boards also have executive duties in which they carry out the laws.

County boards usually supervise a num­ber of special boards assigned to handle matters concerning a certain subject. These boards may include a board of health or a board of elections. Members of these special boards usually are appointed by the county board. They also may be chosen by certain state leaders, or elected by the people.

OTHER COUNTY LEADERS. Be­sides the county board, the citizens of most counties also choose several other county leaders. The duties of these leaders are described in Figure 2.

In recent years, many counties have added a manager to their plan of government. The manager works to coordinate goals and carry out programs for the local government.

A county manager may be chosen in different ways. In most areas, the county board appoints a manager to carry out its decisions. In a few counties, however, a manager is elected by the people of the county.

Figure 1

Figure 2

TYPICAL COUNTY LEADERS
	County Clerk	Prepares and keeps county records; registers voters; prepares election ballots
	County Sheriff	Enforces the law in areas of the county not under the direction of a city government; carries out the orders of county courts; runs the county jail
	County Assessor	Decides value of local property
	Board of Education	Sets school policy and supervises school affairs
	County Treasurer	Collects tax money; pays the county's bills
	County Coroner	Determines the causes of death resulting from suspicious or violent circumstances
	Country surveyor	Examines conditions of buildings, measures and records the details of an area of land
	Auditor	Prepares the county budget; maintains county bank accounts
	County Judges	Chief officials of the county courts
	Prosecuting Attorney	Leads investigations; gathers evidence; brings legal action against alleged offenders

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the largest unit of local government?

2. Is the number of counties in each state the same or different?

3. What services do county governments carry out?

4. What is the most important governing body in most counties?

5. What duties do county boards have?

6. Name typical county leaders and describe their functions.