Virginia State and Local Government Vocabulary
Governor
• leader of the executive branch in Virginia
• Terence (Terry) R. McAuliffe is the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Lieutenant Governor
• second in command to the governor and presides over the Senate
• Ralph S. Northam is the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Attorney General
• the lawyer for the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Mark R. Herring is the Attorney General of Virginia.
Virginia General Assembly
• the legislative branch of Virginia’s state government
House of Delegates
• the lower house in Virginia’s General Assembly
Senate
• the upper house in Virginia’s General assembly
biennial
• every two years
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bureaucracy
• an organization of government departments, agencies, and offices
cabinet
• advisors to the Governor
delegate
• member of the House of Delegates
enumerated/ expressed powers
• powers that are specifically listed and given to the federal government
Federalism
• the division of powers between the states and the federal government
Implied Powers
• powers not specifically listed in the Constitution
Reserved Powers
• Powers that belong to the states
Concurrent Powers
• Powers that are shared between the states and the federal government
Public Policy
• government response to public issues
bond
• certificates people buy from the government, in which the government agrees to pay back the cost of the bond, plus interest, after a set period of time
Board of Supervisors
• the elected group in a county which exercises legislative powers, enacting ordinances, and adopting a annual budget
charter
• a document giving permission to create a local government that provides a plan as to how that government should work
City Manager
• oversees the operations of local government
Clerk of Circuit Court
• an elected official of the every locality of Virginia that is in charge of all legal documents from the courts
City Council
• the elected group in a city which exercises legislative powers, enacting ordinances, and adopting a annual budget
Independent City
• a city that does not belong to any county that interacts directly with the state government
locality
• a particular neighborhood, place, or district
Mayor
• the leader of city government that is either elected by voters or city council members
ordinances
• local laws
Commissioner of the Revenue
• a local elected representative responsible for the administration of taxes levied by the government
Sheriff
• an elected local law enforcement officer
Treasurer
• an elected local official responsible for the economy, finance, and revenue
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