State and Local Government Flashcards

Grade 4 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Key vocabulary for understanding how state and local governments work.

Flashcards

Governor: The elected chief executive of a state government
Mayor: The elected leader of a city or town
Legislature: A group of elected representatives who write and pass laws
City council: The elected lawmaking body of a city or town
County: A division of a state that has its own local government
Ordinance: A law passed by a local government (city or county)
Tax: Money collected by a government from citizens to pay for public services
Public services: Services provided by the government for all citizens, like roads and schools
Citizen: A person who is a legal member of a country and has rights and responsibilities
Election: A process where citizens vote to choose their government leaders
Budget: A plan for how a government will spend the money it collects from taxes
Board of commissioners: Elected group that leads a county government
Term: The period of time an elected official serves in office
Veto: When a governor or mayor rejects a law passed by the legislature