{"id":357670,"date":"2021-06-30T15:55:15","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T20:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/civic-engagement\/making-sense-of-local-government\/how-county-governments-work.html"},"modified":"2021-06-30T15:55:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T20:55:15","slug":"how-county-governments-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/civic-engagement\/making-sense-of-local-government\/how-county-governments-work.html","title":{"rendered":"How County Governments Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How County Governments Work<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Joseph Fawbush, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Kit Spielberger<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

County governments are administrative branches of state governments that play an important role in the lives of local residents. While vital, county governments only have authority when the state constitution or a state law gives it to them. Often, states choose to only delegate certain responsibilities, such as law enforcement and\u00a0zoning regulations, to county governments.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

County governments vary in how they operate, how they hold elections, and what responsibilities and duties they have.<\/p>\n

Why Do We Have County Governments?<\/h2>\n

To understand the nature of county government, it can help to know how they originated. American law and its political system is derived from equivalent British systems. Originally, “shires” were local English administrative branches of the crown. After the\u00a0Norman conquest<\/a>\u00a0in 1066, shires were renamed “counties” but maintained the same purpose. We can still see traces of their origins in certain names. For example, the name of the head of local law enforcement for shires was a “shire reeve” – the position we now call “sheriff.” Just like in medieval times, county governments today focus on carrying out administrative and law enforcement tasks for the state.<\/p>\n

That county governments existed at the time of the founding of the country is not surprising. In the 18th century, travel was expensive and citizens could not leave their farms and homesteads to travel to the state capitol to conduct business. County governments provided greater access to government services for local residents, a function they continue to perform today.<\/p>\n

That is not to say local government hasn’t evolved. In North Carolina, for example, counties were originally run by appointed justices of the peace. It wasn’t until after the civil war that North Carolina gave residents the power to elect local county leaders such as the sheriff and coroner. Today, leadership positions in county governments are elected throughout the country.<\/p>\n

What Do County Governments Do?<\/h2>\n

Because states are free to implement their own forms of local government, the responsibilities and obligations of county governments vary, as do how officials are elected. Most, however, perform a variety of administrative functions for the state. These include:<\/p>\n