Local Politics

Identifying the most racist states in the U.S. is a contentious topic, reflecting the complex interplay of historical legacies, the enduring impact of landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act, and current systemic inequalities.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

This group of men has enormous wealth, and they make up Putin's inner circle. Do they also have any chance of toppling Putin's regime, as well?

By Stanislav Markus

The United Kingdom and the United States both have representative democracies, but their legislatures work very differently.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Researchers investigated the racial makeup and economic well-being of 22,286 census blocks in the U.S. with roadways bearing the slain civil rights leader's name. Here's what they found.

By Sweta Tiwari & Shrinidhi Ambinakudige

The Republican Party is known as the "GOP," but why? And what does "GOP" even mean?

By Carrie Dennis

Each state has its own head of the executive branch of government -- the state governor. But what does a state governor actually do, and how does he or she shape the lives of citizens within his or her state?

By Patrick E. George

If the governor passes away or resigns, the lieutenant governor takes over the position. But outside acting as a stand-in for such an event, what does the lieutenant governor do?

By Patrick J. Kiger

The attorney general of United States is our country's legal counsel. He or she advises the president and the heads of executive departments. What else does this person do?

By Sarah Winkler

People know who the U.S. secretary of state is and probably something about what he or she does. But did you know states have them, too? How is their role in local government different?

By Stephanie Crawford

Despite some confusion about its spelling, the required duties of a state comptroller are quite clear: These money managers oversee state budgets, pay state employees, manage pensions and more.

By Stephanie Watson

In the U.S., the state treasurer acts as the state's chief banker and money manager. Some treasurers, however, use the office as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

By Dave Roos

The U.S. government -- and every state in the Union -- takes in billions of dollars in tax money every year. When you have that kind of money coming in, it's easy to act recklessly. Luckily, auditors general track all these funds and make sure they're spent responsibly.

By Ed Grabianowski

Would you like to know how much your house is worth? Do you want to make sure that new shed will add value to your home before you build it? County assessors help property owners in a given county determine its value -- and, in turn, the county's property tax rate.

By Josh Clark

If you've ever gotten married, had a child or really, ever been born, your vital records have made their way over to the county clerk's office. Could you work as a county clerk and maintain all that paperwork?

By Josh Clark

You've probably seen countless legal series on television that depict large teams of attorneys representing the state. But who's the big shot in charge of those lawyers? The State's Attorney, that's who.

By Lawrence Schumacher

The county commission is the oldest form of government in the U.S. and is still common in many regions of the country. What tasks does a board of commissioners usually oversee?

By John Kelly

Even a mayor whose job is mostly symbolic can have a lot of pull when it comes to running a city. Where does a mayor's power come from -- and does it go all the way up to the national level?

By Christopher Neiger

In a big city, it would be almost impossible to make decisions and solve problems by letting the entire population vote on every issue. One solution: the city council.

By Eric Baxter

In local government, officials elected to represent districts may be called aldermen, a very old term that dates back to the Anglo-Saxon days. What exactly is an alderman?

By Josh Briggs