Who Makes the Rules?
By the end of this lesson, you can tell local, state and national government apart, know who you elect, and name ways to have a say.
The big idea
Every city runs on rules: speed limits, where a store can open, how loud a party can be, what a business needs a permit for. Someone writes those rules, and in most places, the people living there choose who that is.
There are usually three levels:
- Local: your city or county. A mayor and a council handle streets, zoning, police and parks. These choices touch your daily life the most, yet local elections often get the fewest voters.
- State: a governor and a legislature handle things like driver's licenses, state taxes and many school rules.
- National: a president or prime minister and a national legislature handle the military, money and trade.
You have more say than you think. You can vote, show up at a public meeting, call or email the people who represent you, or join a group that cares about the same issue. Rules are made by people, so people can change them.
3 stops in BERLO City
Tap "Go there" to fly straight to each stop. Answer the question before you move on.
1. City Hall
- Look for
- The West End mayor and three-seat council, chosen by residents
2. The City Hall card
- Look for
- The mayor's and council's names (tap them to talk to them)
3. The West End lots
- Look for
- New buildings going up on Civic Row and the avenue
3 quick questions
Your real-life task
Find the name of your mayor, or the person in that job where you live, and one decision they made this year.
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