POLITICAL SCIENCE 101 - American Government - State and Local Government Structures

In general, states and larger local governments resemble the national government in composition of their executive-branch agencies. Most states now have numerous cabinet-level departments. States also have a wide variety of regulatory bodies, some government corporations, and miscellaneous agencies. Similarly, most governors have a fairly strong executive-office staff responsive to their leadership. There are more than 88,000 governments within the United States and, except for the national and state governments, all are local governments such as cities, counties, townships, and school or special districts. Individual state and local agencies are smaller and more numerous than their national government counterparts. Despite the relatively large number of governments, over 90 percent of all public agencies are comprised of fewer than fifty employees. These elected governments are small governmental units averaging only about six elected representatives per jurisdiction. States and communities also vary in terms of climate, economies, geography, population size, type of government, and urbanization, as well as the individual characteristics of residents. Some state agency structures reflect past or present influences of particular interest groups more than those in Washington do.