What is local government?In most contexts local government is understood to be the lowest tier of administration within a given state. It is the responsibility of a local government to represent the interest of its citizens and provide goods and services to the community.
There are
local governments in the United States
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Is Local Government Important?It may not feel like it but local government is very important because it has the power to affect change directly in your community. Local police, fire, schools, housing, city planning, waste collection and many other services fall under the responsibility of your local government. In addition, mayors, city councils, and other local government governing bodies are easy to get in contact with. Citizens can freely attend city council meetings or correspond with local politicians to make sure their needs are met.
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OrganizationIn most states local government is organized by counties and municipalities. Some states have counties that are divided into several townships. Municipalities on the other hand are made up of several different types of jurisdictions like city, borough, town, and village. States can also have special purpose local governments (SPGs) that have limited functions like maintaining sewers, tourism development, public education, or pest control.
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A Venn diagram showing government powers under U.S. federalism.
Credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski
Credit: mkna.org
WHERE dO federal and State taxes go?economic // JUNE 2020When the you pay federal taxes your money is added to the federal government's tax revenues and used to finance social security, medicare/medicaid, defense, safety net programs, and interest on debt. On a state by state basis the largest areas of spending are healthcare and education. When you pay state taxes you money is also going toward a plethora of other services like transportation, corrections, and low income assistance.
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What does this Movement mean for your community?Political // JUNE 2020To be clear defunding the police does not mean the police force won't be available in an emergency. Defunding the police means law enforcements funds will be reallocated to support marginalized communities. In the past new regulations like mandatory training and body cam use have not resulted in significant changes in policy brutality and death in police custody. By defunding the police cities like Minneapolis hope to limit law enforcements access to resources that are being used to harm communities. In turn, reallocated funding can be used to improve schools, hospitals, and public housing. Today, Black Americans and other Americans of color do not feel protected by police presence in their neighborhood. Defunding the police may be the first major step cities can take to restore peace and safety.
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