Who decides what: United States.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United Kingdom · Canada · Australia.

Moraph for Good · Voice

Who decides what: United States

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/who-decides-what

Government comes in layers, and each one handles different things. This sheet helps you work out who decides an issue where you live, and how to check.

The layers

National government handles matters for the whole country.
Many countries also have states, provinces or regions.
Local councils run the services you see every day, sometimes in more than one tier.
Special bodies may run schools, water, transport or libraries.

Who does what

Elected members set policy and approve budgets.
Staff run services and can explain how things work now.
To change something, contact elected members. To understand something, start with staff.

Finding out who decides

Start with your local government’s website.
Ask: who decides this, and when will it next be discussed?
Ask in writing and keep the reply.

Voting

For registration, deadlines and polling places, use only your official election office.
Don’t rely on messages, posts or calls for voting information.

In the United States

Federal, state and local. There is the federal government, state governments and local governments. The Census Bureau counts these kinds of local government: counties, cities, townships, special districts (such as water, fire and library districts) and school districts.
Local powers vary by state. What counties, cities and other local governments are responsible for, and how they are organized, varies from state to state. Check your own city or county website.
Federal government. The Constitution divides the federal government into three branches. Congress, the legislative branch, drafts proposed laws; the president leads the executive branch.
Find your officials. USAGov lists ways to find the names and contacts of the people who represent you at the federal, state and local levels, and contact details for local governments by state.
Voting questions. Your state or local election office helps with registering, voting and election results. USAGov links to each one.

Official places to check:

US Census Bureau: www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cog/about.html
US Census Bureau: www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cog.html
USAGov: www.usa.gov/branches-of-government
USAGov: www.usa.gov/elected-officials
USAGov: www.usa.gov/local-governments
USAGov: www.usa.gov/state-election-office

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/who-decides-what