Government: Local and State — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The governor is the leader of a city.
Corrected: The mayor is the leader of a city.
A city is led by a mayor, while a governor leads the much larger state. So the corrected sentence names the mayor as the leader of a city.
2. Fix the sentence:
The president is the leader of a state.
Corrected: The governor is the leader of a state.
States are led by governors, not presidents. The president leads the whole country, while each state has its own governor.
3. Fix the sentence:
The mayor is the leader of the whole country.
Corrected: The president is the leader of the whole country.
The president is the leader chosen by all the voters in the country to lead the United States. A mayor only leads a single city, so the sentence has to name the president instead.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The leader of a city is called the mayor.
Every city or town has one main leader who runs the city government, and that leader is called the mayor. So mayor is the word that fills the blank.
2. Police officers and firefighters are services provided by local government.
Police officers and firefighters protect a single city or town, and that level of government is called local. So the missing word is local.
3. Citizens choose their leaders by voting.
Voting is the special way Americans choose mayors, governors, and presidents. Citizens pick their leaders by voting, which makes voting the right answer.
4. The leader of a state is called the governor.
The leader at the top of a state's government is called the governor. So governor is the word that fits the blank.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A mayor is the leader of a city or town.
True False
True. A mayor is elected by the people in a city or town to lead its local government.
2. The governor leads the entire country.
True False
False. The governor leads only one state, while the president is the leader of the whole country.
3. Local government helps run schools and parks.
True False
True. Local government uses tax money to keep schools running and parks open and clean for the community.