County A major unit of local government in most states.

Township A subdivision of a county.

Incorporation The process by which a State establishes a city as a legal body.

Charter A city’s basic law, its constitution.

Mayor-council government The oldest and most widely used type of city government – an elected mayor as the chief executive and elected council as its legislative body.

Strong-mayor government A type of government in which the mayor heads the city’s administration.

Weak-mayor government A type of government in which the mayor shares his or her executive duties with other elected officials.

Commission government A government formed by commissioners, heads of different departments of city government, who are popularly elected to form the city council and thus center both legislative and executive powers in one body.

Council-manager government A modification of the mayor-council government; it consists of a strong council of members elected on a non-partisan ballot, a weak mayor, elected by the people, and a manager, named by the council.

Zoning The practice of dividing a city into a number of districts and regulating the uses to which property in each of them may be put.

Medicaid A program administered by the State to provide medical insurance to low- income families.

Welfare Cash assistance to the poor.