Civics Resources - League of Women Voters of Wake County

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Civics Resources

New to the area or just want to brush up on your civics knowledge? Maybe you want to advocate for issues you care about but don't know how to take the first steps?

We have gathered some great resources to help you understand how local, state and federal government work and how you can become more engaged in your community. Scroll down to learn more about the three levels of government.

To learn about the 14 Principles of Democracy, click on the link below.

Principles of Democracy

What is Civic Engagement?

Are We a Democracy or a Republic?

Federal Government

Our Federal government is responsible for providing national defense, monetary policy, social programs like Social Security and Medicare, regulating interstate commerce, managing foreign affairs and enforcing laws.

Federal government is made up of three branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Learn more about them by watching these short videos.

State Government

In North Carolina, our state government is responsible for providing education, public safety, health and social services, economic development, and infrastructure, overseeing various regulatory functions and providing assistance programs.

Our state also consists of the three branches of government. Our legislative branch is called the North Carolina General Assembly. It is comprised of the 120 members of the NC House of Representative and 50 members of the NC Senate.

Our State courts are comprised of Supreme Court, NC Court of Appeals, Superior Court, and District Courts.

The Executive Branch consists of the Governor, Council of State, Cabinet: Department Secretaries appointed by the Governor, and other Executive Officials & Departments.

County Government

North Carolina has 100 counties, with the responsibility of providing essential services like tax collection, planning and permitting, health and human services, law enforcement, and libraries.

Wake County is governed by a seven member Board of Commissioners. Learn more about the services of county government by watching the video below. Click on the image to the right to be redirected to the Wake County Government website.

Local Government

There are 12 municipalities or local governments in Wake County. They include:
Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, and Raleigh, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.

Local or municipal government provides services that affect our everyday lives, such as police and fire protection, solid waste collection, water and sewer and building inspections. They also assist with affordable housing, street maintenance, parks & recreation, and a variety of other services. Click on the links below to learn more about your local government.

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