PA Guide to Local Government

For several years the Pennsylvania Municipal League explored the idea of a civics book for 9th and 10th grade students in Pennsylvania taking American history courses focused on the study of government and the responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society. While today’s high school students learn about the many facets of federal government - such as the creation of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the U.S. House and Senate and the electoral college – their lessons often are devoid of Pennsylvania-specific information.
For that reason, the Pennsylvania Municipal League has created “Civics and You: Your Key to PA Local Government,” a free online book about civics for high school students to use in their Civics courses. This publication is meant to be an additional resource teachers can use to instruct students about Pennsylvania government.
The e-book includes chapters on topics such as Local & State Elections; Voting in Pennsylvania; the PA General Assembly; the PA Judicial System; and the PA Library System.
The e-book is not meant to replace the high school civics curriculum but, rather, to complement a teacher’s instruction on the role of government in our society. “Civics and You” provides a much-needed primer on Pennsylvania government that is often missing in today’s civics curriculum that is more focused on government at the federal level.
“Civics and You: Your Key to PA Local Government” is a project of the PA Municipal League with funding provided by the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED).