{
 "source": "https://peabody.kids/flashcards/state-and-local-government",
 "id": "state-and-local-government",
 "title": "State and Local Government",
 "category": "social-studies",
 "subject": "Civics",
 "levels": [
  "3-5",
  "6-8"
 ],
 "description": "How states, counties, cities and towns are run and what they do for us.",
 "tags": [
  "state government",
  "local government",
  "mayor",
  "governor"
 ],
 "frontLabel": "Term",
 "backLabel": "Meaning",
 "cards": [
  [
   "State government",
   "The government of one of the 50 states"
  ],
  [
   "Governor",
   "The head of a state's executive branch"
  ],
  [
   "State legislature",
   "The group of elected people who make state laws"
  ],
  [
   "State capital",
   "City where the state government meets"
  ],
  [
   "State capitol",
   "The building where the legislature meets"
  ],
  [
   "State constitution",
   "Each state's own written plan of government"
  ],
  [
   "State supreme court",
   "The highest court in most states"
  ],
  [
   "Local government",
   "Government of a city, town, village or county"
  ],
  [
   "City government",
   "Runs services for a city, led by a mayor and council"
  ],
  [
   "Mayor",
   "Elected head of a city or town"
  ],
  [
   "City council",
   "Group that makes local laws called ordinances"
  ],
  [
   "Ordinance",
   "A law made by a city or county government"
  ],
  [
   "County",
   "A region within a state with its own government"
  ],
  [
   "County seat",
   "The town where a county's government is located"
  ],
  [
   "Sheriff",
   "Elected law officer for a county"
  ],
  [
   "Town meeting",
   "A gathering where townspeople vote on local issues"
  ],
  [
   "School board",
   "Elected group that oversees local public schools"
  ],
  [
   "Superintendent",
   "Head of a school district"
  ],
  [
   "Special district",
   "A local government for one purpose, like water or parks"
  ],
  [
   "Public services",
   "Services governments provide: schools, roads, police, fire, libraries, parks"
  ],
  [
   "Police department",
   "Works to keep the community safe and enforce laws"
  ],
  [
   "Fire department",
   "Fights fires and responds to emergencies"
  ],
  [
   "Public library",
   "Free place to borrow books and learn"
  ],
  [
   "Public works",
   "Departments that maintain roads, water and sewers"
  ],
  [
   "Public transportation",
   "Buses, trains and subways that serve the community"
  ],
  [
   "Taxes (local)",
   "Property and sales taxes help pay for local services"
  ],
  [
   "Property tax",
   "A tax on land and buildings"
  ],
  [
   "Sales tax",
   "A tax added to the price of items you buy"
  ],
  [
   "Income tax",
   "A tax on money people earn"
  ],
  [
   "License",
   "Official permission, like a driver's license"
  ],
  [
   "Zoning",
   "Rules about how land can be used"
  ],
  [
   "Building permit",
   "Permission to build or change a building"
  ],
  [
   "Election (local)",
   "Voters choose mayors, council members, school boards and judges"
  ],
  [
   "Zoning board",
   "Group that decides how land may be used"
  ],
  [
   "Federalism",
   "Power shared between national and state governments"
  ],
  [
   "Powers of states",
   "Run schools, hold elections, regulate businesses and set driving rules"
  ],
  [
   "Powers of the federal government",
   "Print money, declare war, make treaties, run the military"
  ],
  [
   "Shared powers",
   "Taxing, building roads and making laws are done by both"
  ],
  [
   "Statehood",
   "A territory becomes a state when Congress approves"
  ],
  [
   "Territory",
   "Land belonging to the US that is not a state"
  ],
  [
   "Home rule",
   "Local authority to run its own affairs"
  ],
  [
   "City charter",
   "A city's founding document and rules for its government"
  ],
  [
   "Township",
   "A form of local government in some states"
  ],
  [
   "Tribal government",
   "Federally recognized Native nations govern themselves"
  ],
  [
   "Municipality",
   "A city, town or village with local government"
  ],
  [
   "Urban",
   "City area"
  ],
  [
   "Rural",
   "Countryside area"
  ],
  [
   "Suburb",
   "Community near a city"
  ],
  [
   "District attorney",
   "Local lawyer who prosecutes crimes for the government"
  ],
  [
   "Local judge",
   "Judge in a municipal or county court"
  ],
  [
   "Public hearing",
   "Meeting where citizens speak about a proposed rule"
  ],
  [
   "Petition (local)",
   "Citizens collect signatures to ask the government to act"
  ],
  [
   "Public comment",
   "Time at meetings for people to speak"
  ],
  [
   "Volunteer fire company",
   "Local firefighters who serve without pay in many towns"
  ],
  [
   "Emergency services",
   "911 services for fire, medical and police needs"
  ],
  [
   "911",
   "Number to call in an emergency in the US"
  ],
  [
   "Recycling program",
   "Local service that collects and processes recyclable materials"
  ],
  [
   "Parks department",
   "Maintains parks and playgrounds"
  ],
  [
   "Health department",
   "Works to protect public health, like checking restaurants"
  ],
  [
   "Community center",
   "Place that offers classes and activities"
  ],
  [
   "Budget (local)",
   "Plan for how a city or county will spend money"
  ],
  [
   "Why local government matters",
   "It handles many things you use every day"
  ],
  [
   "Governor's powers",
   "Signs or vetoes bills and leads the state's executive branch"
  ],
  [
   "Lieutenant governor",
   "Second in command in many states"
  ],
  [
   "Attorney general (state)",
   "The state's chief lawyer"
  ],
  [
   "Secretary of state (state)",
   "Official who often oversees elections and records"
  ],
  [
   "National Guard",
   "Military units that can serve under the governor or the president"
  ]
 ]
}