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Town, Township, and Village Governments 1

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Town, Township, and Village Governments 1 Town, Township, and Why It Matters Preview the headings in Section 2 with Village Governments students. Ask students to name their type of local government. (Answers may TAKING As you read, BEFORE YOU READ NOTES vary for students who attend regional take notes on schools, but students should name a The Main Idea Reading Focus Key Terms the different kinds of local governments and the purpose city, town, township, or village govern- Although counties are 1. Where did town government town, p. 231 of each. Use a chart like this ment.) Explain to students that local the largest unit of local begin, and what is the town meeting, p. 231 one to record your notes. government, they share purpose of the town meeting? township, p. 232 governments provide places such as 2. Local Governments the job of governing Why did townships and special district, p. 233 town meetings where people can share with other units of local special districts develop, and Kind Purpose their opinion about local issues or prob- government. how does each function? 3. Why are villages and lems with others in their community. boroughs created, and Discuss with students why it might be how do they operate? easier for citizens to become involved in local government than in other levels of government. When you vote in a class election, you participate in direct democra- Key Terms cy. In some regions of the country Preteach the following terms: that have small populations, direct town unit of local government, usually democracy is still practiced at town meetings. When larger than a village and smaller than a city a town grows, elected representatives are needed to (p. 231) make the decisions. town meeting public meeting at which Town Government townspeople meet regularly to discuss and vote on town issues (p. 231) Towns fi rst developed as New England colo- township small unit of local government nists built homes and churches. A town is a (p. 232) unit of local government, usually larger than special district unit of government formed a village and smaller than a city. The colonial to meet many different needs (p. 233) town included both the homes, churches, and other buildings and surrounding farmlands. The people who lived in early New Taking Notes During a town meeting, England towns created the town meeting, Local Governments a moderator is usually Many smaller communities in New elected to preside over a simple yet powerful form of local gov- Kind Purpose England still hold town meetings to the meeting. ernment. In a town meeting , all citizens deal with local issues. Town to govern an area smaller meet regularly to discuss town issues. After than a city but larger than all opinions regarding an issue have been a village voiced, the people at the meeting vote on townships, township: to perform a that issue. This means that each person has special districts variety of local functions, a direct voice in the government. special district: to meet an area’s specifi c need 231 villages, to provide services in a LOCAL GOVERNMENT boroughs growing rural area Teach the Main Idea At Level Town, Township, and Village Governments 1. Teach Ask students the Reading Focus 3. Review Lead the class in a discussion questions to teach this section. about local government. Allow students to 2. Apply Have students write the section’s refer to their notes during the discussion. three main heads on separate sheets of 4. Practice/Homework Have students paper. As students read, ask them to record create an encyclopedia entry about one form details about each type of government on of local government. the appropriate page. SECTION 2 231 Local government Web sites often provide useful Finding Information links to public services, on the Internet such as libraries. Reading Focus Does your town have leash laws for pets? How many people live in your state? These questions can all be answered by using Web sites provided Where did town government begin, by your local government. and what is the purpose of the town The Internet is also a great place to find practical infor- meeting? mation for daily life. Unfortunately, it can be hard to know if the Web sites you visit contain complete and accurate Town Government information. Many sites are sponsored by groups trying to sell a particular product or service. Identify Where did the fi rst towns Using a Web site sponsored and maintained by your develop in the United States? in the local government can help you avoid these problems. go.hrw.com ANALYSIS New England colonies These sites provide residents with useful information. KEYWORD: SZ7 CH9 SKILL MEDIA INVESTIGATION CPSE?C Make Inferences What kinds of Illustrated example of a township Web site Evaluating How do you know you are on government issues are discussed at town meetings? Web sites? Possible answer: issues that affect the local community Town meetings often are held in con- sylvania, used a form of government called junction with town elections. At the elec- a township . Townships in other parts of the tions, townspeople typically elect from three country, especially the Midwest, have a dif- Reading Focus to fi ve offi cials to manage the town’s affairs ferent history. In the early 1800s, the United between town meetings. The town meeting States expanded westward. Americans moved form of government can work well in areas into new land where they had not previously Why did townships and special that have small populations. Direct democ- settled. Congress divided this new land into districts develop, and how does each racy is practical in such towns because it is perfectly square units, usually 6 miles (an function? easier for all the voters to gather in one cen- hour’s buggy ride) by 6 miles on a side. As peo- Townships and Special tral location at one time. ple from the East moved in, they set up local governments they called civil townships. READING CHECK Analyzing Information Districts Colonial townships were usually smaller In what kind of community does a town meeting than New England towns, while the Mid- Explain Why have many township work well? western townships may have been larger governments decreased in importance? Townships and than towns. But all townships perform many Cities have taken over many govern- of the same governmental functions, such as mental responsibilities. Special Districts building schools and roads, that towns per- Summarize What benefi ts do special In some states, land is often divided into oth- form. In general, a township is headed by districts provide citizens? They meet er smaller units. Two common subdivisions an elected chairperson or supervisor. Voters health, safety, and cultural needs such are townships and special districts. Town- also elect a board of commissioners or trust- ees to make township rules and regulations. as fi re protection, libraries, parks, ships are more common in certain states, but special districts are found in every state. An elected constable enforces the laws, and public transportation, and sewage often an elected justice of the peace tries disposal. Townships minor legal cases. Today, many township From the Source: Readings in In colonial times, New England states used governments have decreased in importance Economics and Government: Reading the town form of government. Other states, as cities have taken over many of the govern- 55: Democracy in America especially New York, New Jersey, and Penn- mental responsibilities. 232 CHAPTER 9 Collaborative Learning Above Level Hold a Town Meeting Research Required 1. Assign students roles as town offi cials and 3. Have students debate and vote on the townspeople. community issues that have been raised 2. Have students hold a mock town meeting, by the “town offi cials.” Verbal/Linguistic, with offi cials giving reports and presenting Interpersonal new issues. Suggest that students fi nd Alternative Assessment Handbook: Rubric 11: and research community issues in local Discussions newspapers. They can also present fi ctional Answers issues. Media Investigation Government Web sites usually end with “.gov”. Reading Check a small community 232 Special Districts Village and Borough People living in a certain area may have a Governments special need. In such cases these people may go directly to the state legislature and ask When rural communities grow to a popu- for a charter to set up a special district. A lation of 200 to 300, their residents often special district is a unit of government encounter problems that require them to Reading Focus formed to meet many different needs, work together. The residents may decide to including fi re protection, libraries, parks and establish a village or a borough and create Why are villages and boroughs cre- recreation centers, public transportation, their own local government. ated, and how do they operate? and sewage disposal. A special district may A request to establish a village or bor- include several cities. For example, a hospital ough must be approved by the state legis- Village and Borough district might serve several cities. Each city lature. The legislature permits the village or Governments would have to pay taxes for the services it borough to be a self-governing municipality. receives. The state legislature usually sets up It then can collect taxes, set up fi re and police Recall Who often governs a village a commission to handle the details of estab- departments, and provide other services that or borough? a small council or board lishing and operating the special district. larger communities offer their residents. of trustees, headed by an executive, The commission members may be elected or A village or borough is often governed by president of the board, or mayor appointed.
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