The Structure of Government - State Governments

State and Local Governments

The structure of American government is really a mosaic composed of thousands of interlocking units. In addition to the federal government, there are 50 state governments and the government of the District of Columbia, and further down the ladder are still smaller units that govern counties, cities, towns and villages, to name a few.

In general, matters that lie entirely within state borders are the exclusive concern of state governments. State and local governments are, however, forbidden from passing any law that denies or erodes the fundamental rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens in the Constitution.

For more information on state and local government, you may want to check the links below.

Library of Congress
Information for State and Local Governments

National Association of Counties

National Conference of State Legislatures

U.S. Conference of Mayors

Electronic Journals:
Democratic Local Government
French
Russian
Spanish

Reinventing American Federalism
French
Russian
Spanish

Click below for information on the following:
Federal Government
U.S. Constitution
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