Civic Education: The Differences Between State & Local Governments

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Local governments operate in towns, cities, municipalities, and districts below the state and national levels. For this reason, there are some salient differences between the goals and operations of local governments compared to politics occurring at a higher level.  Read on for a brief overview.

Day-to-day operations

  • State and local governments tend to have more impact on the average citizen’s daily lives compared to the federal government. 
  • Local governments are primarily responsible for the delivery of basic public services to their residents. They make sure the water runs, the police and fire departments respond to calls, the trash gets picked up, and the schools operate. Most of these issues are not part of the broader ideological struggles that dominate the attention of officials at higher levels, nor do they often generate national media headlines. 
  • State governments are responsible for a more structured regulation of the issues and activities of the state. 
  • All levels of government are responsible for the welfare of the citizens. 

Limited powers

  • Local governments are established and guided by their state’s constitution. States determine how much authority local governments can exercise and what type of local government is created.
  • For example: federal laws apply to everyone in the country; state laws apply only to those within the state; local laws apply only to those within the local government’s jurisdiction. Note: A local or state law cannot violate or contradict federal law.

Elections 

  • Voting in a local election will influence local laws, budgets, departments, waste disposal, parks and recreation, infrastructure maintenance, education, and more. 

The public perception 

  • According to surveys, Americans have far more trust and confidence in their local officials than those governing in state capitals or Washington, D.C. 
  • Surveys equally find that many Americans do not trust the federal government to fairly and effectively implement public policy.

Want to get involved in local politics? Check out our article here.