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