GOVERNING THE PEOPLE What do you picture when you hear the word government Do you picture the president or the White House Those are important symbols of the U S government which represents the whole country But the United States is so big that its government can’t manage everything that happens A government is an organization that makes rules and laws provides services and keeps order within the country state or community it rules VOCABULARY The White House in Washington D C is an important symbol of the U S government 4
in every state city or town That’s what state and local governments are for State and local governments function much like the federal government They make rules and laws They maintain important facilities used by the public Every state even has its own constitution Read on to learn more about state and local governments how they work and how they affect our lives Local government leaders hold a public meeting 5
LEVELS OF POWER The United States is run by governments of various levels and sizes ranging from local to state to national The federal government is the highest level of government It makes laws for the whole country State governments are the next level They’re responsible for laws rights and services that aren’t covered by the federal government President Barack Obama leads the entire federal government 6
Local governments are a level below state governments They’re responsible for the laws and services in a particular county city town or village A local government’s power is divided among people who make decisions and laws people who carry them out and people who make sure they are being followed Like the federal government local governments are divided into three branches Why would local governments want to be structured like the national government THINK ABOUT IT Part of a state governor’s job is to work with other governmental officials 7
