Know your local government

Get the Tip of the Day by Email

So you want to fix a problem in your local community, maybe get all those pot holes filled, or that local park cleaned up. You probably need to take this up with local government, but which kind of local government?

There are tens of thousands of governments in the United States, many in obscure types you never think of. Sewers may be provided by the county, or by the sanitary board. In Florida, mosquitoes are probably dealt with by the county mosquito control district. If you want a problem solved, you need to know which government office can fix it. But how do you find out?

• Enter the US Census. In addition to counting people, the census also counts governments. The Governments Integrated Directory (GID) provides a downloadable list of all county, city, township, school district, and special district governments in the country, allowing you to find out how many governments there actually are in your state and county.
• Which branch do you need? The census provides a handy guide that summarizes the different types of special governments in each state. This will allow you to easily determine which branch or office is relevant to your problem in your community.

Knowing how many and which governments exist near you is critical to understanding the role and scope of government in your community. For those who want to run for office, this knowledge can help you find which office will best help you meet you goals. For those organizing on local community issues, knowing which local offices and officeholders to target for your actions is critical to success. Knowing about these districts will also better prepare you and your community to keep your government officials accountable.

Ever had a struggle finding the right office to petition? Share your story in the comments!

Paul Carlson was an Election Research Intern with the Candidate Project

Photo from blisschan, via Creative Commons