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State & Local Relations: Government Structures & Growth in the United States

Explore the intricate relationships between state and local governments in the U.S., from unitary systems to the functions of counties and cities. Discover the growth of government entities and major metropolitan areas, along with various forms of city governance.

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State & Local Relations: Government Structures & Growth in the United States

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  1. The Nature of State &Local Relations • Most state constitutions create a unitary systemin which power is concentrated in a central government • Unlike states, local governments usually have no constitutional authority in their own right • Constitutional home rule granted constitutional independence to some local units

  2. The Nature of State &Local Relations Counties in the United States • The largest jurisdiction within a state • Originally organized on the idea that the county seat would be no more than a day’s journey for anyone within the county’s borders • Traditional functions: • Law enforcement • Highway construction/maintenance • Tax collection and property assessment • Recording legal papers • Administration of welfare programs

  3. Growth of Governments in the United States Type of government 1997 2007 U.S. government 1 State government 50 Local government 87,453 County 3,043 Municipal 19,372 Township 16,629 School district 13.726 Special district 34,683 Total 87,504 3,033 37,381 89,527 SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, at www.census.gov.

  4. The 17 Largest U.S. Counties by Population • 1. Los Angeles County, California • 2. Cook County, Illinois • 3. Harris County, Texas • 4. Maricopa County, Arizona • 5. San Diego County, California • 6. Orange County, California • 7. Kings County, New York • 8. Miami-Dade County, Florida • 9. Dallas County, Texas • Queens County, New York • 11. Riverside, California • San Bernardino County, California • Wayne County, Michigan • King County, Washington • 15. Clark County, NV • Broward County, Florida • Santa Clara County, California

  5. The Commission Form of County Government The Council with Elected Executive Form of Government

  6. Towns, Cities, Suburbs • The Rise of “Edge Cities”

  7. Ten Largest U.S. Cities and Nine Fastest Growing by Population 1. New York, N.Y. 2. Los Angeles, Calif. 3. Chicago, Ill. 4. Houston, Tex. 5. Philadelphia, Pa. 6. Phoenix, Ariz. 7. San Antonio, Tex. 8. San Diego, Calif. 9. Dallas, Tex. 10. San Jose, Calif. • 1. Lincoln, CA • 2. Surprise, AZ • 3. Frisco, TX • 4. Goodyear, AZ • Beaumont, CA • Louisville/Jefferson County, KY • Pflugerville, TX • Indian Trail, NC • Wylie, TX SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2010

  8. City GovernmentDifferent ways of structuring city government, and the functions of mayors. City Government • 19,492 municipalities • 9,000 have less than 1,000 residents • 58 have 300,000 or more • Three supercities • New York • Los Angeles • Chicago

  9. City Government Today • The Mayor-Council Charter • Weak Mayor Councils and Strong Mayor Councils • The Council-Manager Charter

  10. The Mayor-Council Form of City Government • Weak Mayor-Council Form • Members of the city council select the mayor, who then shares power with other elected or appointed boards and commissions makes policy Strong Mayor-Council Form Voters directly elect the city council and the mayor, who enjoys almost total administrative authority and appoints department heads carry out policy

  11. The Council-Manager Form of City Government makes policy appoints Department heads carry out policy

  12. The 10 Fastest-Growing Metropolitan Areas • 1. Palm Coast, FL • 2. St. George, UT • 3. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV • 4. Raleigh-Cary, NC • 5. Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, FL • 6. Provo-Orem, UT • 7. Greeley, CO • Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX • Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC • Bend, OR SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2010

  13. The Central City and Its Politics Meeting the Challenges of Growth and Economic Development • Annexation • Agreements to furnish services • Public authorities • Special districts • Regional coordinating and planning councils • City council consolidations • Federated government • Community self-help

  14. California Consists of 58 Counties 500+ Cities 1025+ School Districts Other Districts Regions Ten Largest Cities in California 1. Los Angeles 3,957,875  2. San Diego 1,305,736  3. San Jose 944,857  4. San Francisco 799,263  5. Long Beach 491,564  6. Fresno 464,727 7. Sacramento 452,959   8. Oakland 412,318  9. Santa Ana 351,697 10. Anaheim 345,317

  15. The Central City and Its Politics Central City Politics • Most people live in metropolitan areas. • 84% live in metropolitan areas. • 27% live in cities bigger than 100,000. • Gentrification • Wealthy people buy property in poorer areas of a city.

  16. The Central City and Its Politics • Today, most people live in metropolitan areas, which include large cities and their suburbs • The shrinking tax base in cities has made it difficult to raise sufficient revenue • However, the demand for services has not decreased • In recent years, many central cities have shown signs of rejuvenation Urban renewal has brought new life to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD

  17. Metropolitics Today Future of Metropolitan Reorganization • Problems of central cities • Congestion, smog, tension, loss of community, drugs, unsafe streets, neglected children, visual pollution • Centers of innovation, excitement, and vitality

  18. Meeting the Challenges of Growth and Economic Development • Until recently, almost everybody wanted to see his or her city grow • Beginning about 20 years ago, an antigrowth movement developed in many cities Eminent Domain • The power of government to take private land for public purposes • Has existed since the country’s founding • Tempered by a right to compensation • Recent controversies

  19. The Role of the Mayor • Need for a strong mayor developed in the late nineteenth century, with America’s industrialization • The typical mayor is • A college graduate • A business or legal professional • An experienced grassroots politician • Main responsibilities • Administration • Promoting economic opportunities Antonio Villaraigosa is the first Hispanic Mayor of a major city in the U.S. New York City mayor Bloomberg considered running for president as a third-party candidate in the 2008

  20. The Role of the Mayor Who Influences Local Policy Making? • Citizens • Normally, the citizenry does not pay much attention • Citizens often become active when a new policy is proposed that directly affects them • Organized workers • Business leaders • Neighborhood associations • Professional associations • Good government associations • Home builders and developers • Racial and ethnic groups

  21. Southern California consists of • 1 in 8 Hispanics in the US resides in LA County • 1 in 10 Asians in the US reside in LA County • 1 in 9 foreign born in the US reside in LA County • The LA Region has the highest concentration of Asian population (2.6 million) in the nation • Largest number of Hispanics – in terms of numbers (8.9 million) and percentage of total population (39%) • 45 American Indian Reservations • 61 Hawaiian Home Lands

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