County
Introduction to County
County, a unit of local government in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and several other nations. In the U.S. it is the largest organized unit in all states except Connecticut and Rhode Island, where the major division is the town; Louisiana, where the corresponding area is the parish; and Alaska, where it is the borough. The importance of the county in the federal, state, and local structure is increasing. More than 3000 county-type governments exist in the U.S. Many states have recently granted counties home rule, that is, independent control over local affairs.
The structure of county government is changing. Several hundred counties have changed from the traditional commission form of government (characterized by a central governing board with both administrative and legislative powers) to either a manager appointed by the legislative board to implement its policy or to an elected executive who administers the governing board’s policy. The elected executive has the power to veto and is usually similar to a city mayor.
In the 20th century the traditional functions performed by counties, such as tax assessment and collection, election and judicial administration, record keeping, and maintenance of roads and highways, are being expanded to include social services, health care, and parks and recreation facilities. Counties have been obliged to provide varied services because of the massive shift in population from the central cities to the suburban communities surrounding them.
Like the counties in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, those in the United States have their roots in Britain. In England a county was originally a tribal settlement, or even a whole kingdom, known to the Saxons as a shire-a term still preserved, as in the county of Hampshire. With the formation of the United Kingdom, the English county form was adopted in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Today counties remain Britain’s chief governmental division for administrative and related purposes.” (1)
Concept of County
Note: explore also the meaning of this legal term in the American Ecyclopedia of Law.
County
Resources
See Also
- State Government
- Local Government
- Local Government Law
Resources
See Also
- County commissioners
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about County in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
Guide to County
Hierarchical Display of County
Politics > Executive power and public service > Regional and local authorities
County
Concept of County
See the dictionary definition of County.
Characteristics of County
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Resources
Translation of County
- Spanish: Condado
- French: Comté
- German: Grafschaft
- Italian: Contea
- Portuguese: Condado
- Polish: Hrabstwo
Thesaurus of County
Politics > Executive power and public service > Regional and local authorities > County
See also
- Biocenosis
- Biotic community
- Ecological niche
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