City, County, or Other: 6 Basic Forms

There are three major branches in government – legislative, executive, and judicial. We might call them branches but it’s the purpose of these branches that is most important for understanding the role of local government.

1. Legislative – this involves creating and updating laws that determine what citizens can or cannot do as a member of a community. Laws may also define terms and expectations for agencies or departments within government.
2. Executive – this involves administering the laws created by legislation. It’s identifying and following through on the logistics of meeting people’s expectations and managing what people can and cannot do.
3. Judicial – this branch is charged with enforcing and interpreting the law.

This course will point out how these functions are handled within the different forms of government. 

When you think about the library – who handles the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of the library?