States, cities & tribes
county
The main administrative subdivision of most states, running courts, jails, elections, property records, and often health and social services.
In full
Counties are creatures of the state, with powers the state grants. They are the level of government most Americans interact with without noticing: recording a deed, getting a marriage license, voting, or appearing in traffic court. Louisiana calls them parishes, Alaska uses boroughs, and some cities are consolidated with their county.
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Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.