State and Local Government
Aligned to C3.D2.Civ.1 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
State government has three branches: the legislature makes laws, the governor and executive branch carry them out, and the courts decide what laws mean. Local governments, like counties and cities, run everyday services closer to home.
Worked example
Your state legislature might pass a law about school days, while your city council decides where to build a new park and your mayor makes sure the streets get plowed after a snowstorm.
Practice questions
- Name the three branches of state government and one job of each.
- Explain how local government is different from state government.
- A new stoplight is needed at a busy corner in your town. Which level of government would most likely handle it, and why?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
El Gobierno Estatal y Local
El gobierno estatal tiene tres poderes: el legislativo crea las leyes, el gobernador y el poder ejecutivo las ponen en práctica, y los tribunales deciden qué significan las leyes. Los gobiernos locales, como los condados y las ciudades, dirigen los servicios diarios más cercanos a casa.
Ejemplo: El congreso de tu estado podría aprobar una ley sobre los días de clase, mientras que el ayuntamiento de tu ciudad decide dónde construir un parque nuevo y el alcalde se asegura de que limpien las calles después de una nevada.
More Civics lessons
Teach this lesson today
An AI tutor that guides with questions instead of just giving answers — all K–12 core subjects, every child in the family.
Start free — no card required