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

2

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