Responsibilities of State vs. Local Governments
Caroline Suneson
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
GOVT 327: State and Local Government
Prof. Aaron Van Allen
December 10, 2020
Responsibilities of State vs. Local Governments
Within the American governmental system, there are certain powers that the federal
government is held responsible for accomplishing based on constitutional delegations. Beyond
the powers the federal government holds, the remainder of services required of the government
are entrusted to the state and local governments. This ranges from education, infrastructure,
public health, first responders, welfare, and more. Each state handles the balance of these powers
slightly differently, but across the board there is a distribution of these powers between the state
and local governments. Some responsibilities are only held at one level, while others are shared
between a combination of the federal, state, and local levels. This concept raises the question of
whether the state or local government holds the most responsibility in establishing various
programs and delivering the services expected from each level.
Responsibilities of a Local Government
Depending on the area a local government could either be a city government or a county
government, but in either instance, a local government provides for many of the services that
constituents use on a daily basis. This is due to the ability that local governments have to
customize their services to the specific needs of the citizenry within their area. What a rural town
in North Dakota needs varies greatly from what New York City needs. Furthermore, why local
governments are important is because what New York City needs varies from what a rural town
in New York might need. The government officials within these governments are held
accountable on a smaller scale and a more personal level, making each decision a crucial one.
The services a local government provides are extensive as they oversee the wellbeing of
the locality through the various departments they manage. It is important to acknowledge where
the funds come from to provide these services. The majority of funds a local government
receives is from property taxes and sales taxes. This accounted for 42% of the general revenue
local governments received in the United States in 2017 (What are the sources of revenue for
local governments?, n.d., Figure 1). Another large portion of the revenue a local government uses
for its services is intergovernmental transfers, which comprises funding and grants the locality
receives from the state.
One way the local government provides for its citizens is through the maintenance of
roads, bridges, and similar infrastructure. Additionally, local governments provide for services
regarding the physical well-being of its citizenry like providing water purification, sewage,
garbage, and electricity services. In a more practical sense, local governments oversee the
maintenance of local hospitals and clinics. There are also certain services provided by local
governments that contribute to recreation for citizenry such as parks, pools, and libraries. Within
county and local courthouses, the locality manages various records such as birth certificates and
marriage licenses. The local courthouse also hears cases first and either deals with them
internally or passes them to a higher level, depending on the severity. In the state of Colorado,
they explain that the type of cases they deal with in their county court includes, “civil cases
under $25,000, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, felony complaints (which may be sent to
district court), protection orders, and small claims,” (Colorado Judicial Branch, n.d., para. 4).
Local governments can also have jails that they maintain. Finally, local governments contribute
to the process of registering voters and overseeing votes during an election. All of these powers
are given to localities upon the power of the state government, such as the governor or
legislatures.
Another major area that local governments are responsible for is the economic
development of its city or county. The heartbeat of any city or county is its economy, and this is
why economic development is such a priority to local governments. Additionally, the wellbeing
of the citizenry, in multiple forms, depends on the economic development of their area. This
includes making improvements to the area to make it more attractive to businesses looking to
come to the area or open. An influx of new businesses helps the area to be more economically
successful, but it also helps the citizenry by providing necessary businesses and creating jobs.
Localities accomplish this through various strategies. “[T]he most frequently cited local
development activities in previous studies include regulations, infrastructure investments,
marketing, and tax incentives,” (Morgan, 2009, pg. 2). These strategies can include upgrading
infrastructure, creating promotional material for the area, or tax abatements. The extent to which
these strategies are implemented often depend on the size of the locality and their ability to
execute varying degrees of improvements.
Responsibilities of a State Government
The responsibilities of a state government intersect with those of the local government in
various ways, but there are also some powers that are exclusive to the state government. The
agencies and services that they are responsible for deal with issues on a larger scale. Overall, the
state governments have a closer connection to the federal government than local governments.
They receive their funding similarly to local governments, through federal grants and funding as
well as state taxes. The ability to receive these grants is often predicated on the ability the state
has to provide the services expected of them and how well they complete these expectations. The
federal government also sets standards and expectations for states to meet in order to qualify for
the funding. The structure of a state government is also more closely related to that of the federal
government. “All state governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of
three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all states
uphold a ‘republican form’ of government, although the three-branch structure is not required,”
(State & Local Government, n.d., para. 3).
The responsibilities of the state government contribute to the success, improvement, and
maintenance of the state as a whole. One service state governments administer that local
governments often do not is welfare and benefits programs such as unemployment services and
food stamps. States also oversee infrastructure such state highways and roads. Roads and
highways are within the jurisdiction of the federal, state, and local government, so the state helps
delegate infrastructure responsibilities to the local level, while also executing their own
obligations. “Most states classify roads into primary, secondary, and local levels. This system
determines whether the state, county, or local governments, respectively, must pay for and
maintain roads. Many states have departments of transportation, which oversee and administer
intrastate transportation,” (State Governments, n.d., para. 5). Each state also has its own justice
and judicial system that they maintain. States also set a standard for education and are in charge
of the administration of public schools. The regulation of industry also falls within the
jurisdiction of the state government, in which they fix prices and ensure a certain quality of
products and services. When the federal government administers mandates, it is also the duty of
the state to enforce them. Overall, the state enforces and administers federal programs as well as
oversees the programs that concern the whole state.
Conclusion
Both state and local governments face a great deal of responsibility and accountability
held by their citizenry. Many of the programs they create, support, and sustain are an integral
part of the daily lives of their citizenry. It is important to acknowledge that both levels of
government rely on each other to uphold their duties and provide necessary support; one cannot
function without the other. States often deal with big picture issues such as programs that effect
the whole state or involve the federal government. Local governments see to the issues of their
specific area and the day to day needs citizens might require of their government.
When evaluating which level of government has more responsibility, it is important to
qualify three factors. Those are the amount, the value, and importance of the work. In a simple
evaluation of the amount of people the state employs and provides services to, it’s clear that they
have more work to accomplish. In some ways, the state runs interference between the federal
government and the localities. This gives them the added responsibility of communicating and
managing the varying interests of the local and federal government. As far as the value of work
goes, the function and necessity of the services needs to be considered. The citizenry more
frequently recognizes the work of the local government on a day to day basis because of the
amount that they use their services. On any given day, a citizen will use their local water, go to a
local park, or engage with a local hospital. All of these services are highly visible and valuable to
a large number of citizens. Finally, the importance of the services should be considered. While
the services of the local government may be more valuable to the citizen, many of the services
the state are more important such as education and welfare services.
Overall, the local government is more visible and accountable to the citizen, making the
services and agencies they oversee a larger responsibility. Without the services of the local
government, a citizen could not carry out the most normal functions of their day such as turning
on a light or take a shower. Additionally, within a state, different localities perform on drastically
different success levels based on the execution of the statewide programs and legislation. This
shows that the excellence, or lack thereof, will make or break a locality. They are held highly
accountable and have a great responsibility to uphold.
References
Colorado Judicial Branch. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2020, from
https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Index.cfm
Morgan, J. Q. (2009, June). The Role of Local Government in Economic Development. The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
State Governments. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09, 2020, from
https://votesmart.org/education/states
State & Local Government. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09, 2020, from
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/state-local-government/
What are the sources of revenue for local governments? (n.d.). Retrieved December 09, 2020,
from https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-are-sources-revenue-local-
governments
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