📚 Topic Summary
Local government is the government closest to the people. It includes cities, towns, counties, and other districts. Its main job is to provide services that directly affect citizens, like schools, roads, police and fire protection, and libraries. Local governments are run by elected officials who are responsible for making laws and policies that benefit the community.
🗳️ Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their definitions:
- Term: Ordinance
- Term: Municipality
- Term: Levy
- Term: Zoning
- Term: Public Works
- Definition: A tax or fee imposed by a government.
- Definition: The department responsible for maintaining infrastructure.
- Definition: A political unit such as a city, town, or village.
- Definition: Local law.
- Definition: Regulations dividing areas into zones for specific uses.
Match the numbers to the correct term.
✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences below using the words provided: services, taxes, community, elected, laws.
Local governments are run by ________ officials who are chosen by the people. They create ________ and policies to benefit the entire ________. Funding for these initiatives comes from ________ collected from residents and businesses. These ________ include things like schools, roads, and emergency assistance.
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Imagine you are a member of your local city council. What is one issue facing your community that you would want to address, and how would you propose solving it?