Identify the level
Federal, state, county, city, school, and special-district authority are not interchangeable.
READING THIS ENTRYResearching public records
How to interpret this record
What Do Elected Officials Actually Do? Office Powers and Limits
A useful public record has an identity, a scope and a source. Research becomes more reliable when those elements travel with the number or statement being discussed.
Write down the claim first
Identify exactly what you want to know: who holds an office, whether someone appears on a ballot, what a committee reported spending, or how a member voted on a question. Each claim calls for a different source. A biography, a campaign website and a financial report can all be useful without answering the same question.
Keep identity, scope and date together
Record the entity identifier, jurisdiction, election or reporting period and source publication. These details prevent a correct fact from being attached to the wrong person, place or time. A name-only match can be misleading, especially when campaigns or institutions have changed names or when a person has sought several offices.
Read the full researching public records guide →Civic authority, decoded · 9 source-backed guides
Who can actually
make that decision?
A title is not a power. See what each office commonly controls, what requires other officials, and which constitution, law, charter, or rule has the final word.
Start with the role
Power, limits, and the decision chain.
Every guide separates individual authority from collective action. State and local guides deliberately stop where nationwide certainty ends and tell you what local source to verify.
01Federal · Executive
President of the United States
Leads the federal executive branch, carries out federal law, represents the country as head of state, and serves as commander in chief.
- Commonly controls
- Executive departments and agencies within the authority Congress and the Constitution assign
- Does not control alone
- Pass a federal law or appropriate federal money alone.
02Federal · Executive
Vice President of the United States
Is first in the presidential line of succession, serves as president of the Senate, and commonly advises the president.
- Commonly controls
- The constitutional tie-breaking vote in the Senate
- Does not control alone
- Vote on ordinary Senate questions when the Senate is not tied.
03Federal · Legislative
U.S. Senator
Represents an entire state in one chamber of Congress and helps make federal law, set federal spending, conduct oversight, and decide matters reserved to the Senate.
- Commonly controls
- One vote in the Senate
- Does not control alone
- Enact a federal law or spend federal money alone.
04Federal · Legislative
U.S. Representative
Represents a congressional district in the House and helps make federal law, set federal spending, conduct oversight, and perform powers reserved to the House.
- Commonly controls
- One vote in the House, subject to delegate rules
- Does not control alone
- Enact a federal law, appropriate money, or impeach an official alone.
05State · Executive
State Governor
Leads a state's executive branch and administers policies and programs under that state's constitution and laws.
- Commonly controls
- Executive agencies placed under gubernatorial authority
- Does not control alone
- Make state law or appropriate state money alone.
06State · Legislative
State Legislator
Represents a state legislative district and, with the legislature, makes state law, allocates state resources, and oversees state government.
- Commonly controls
- One vote in the legislator's chamber
- Does not control alone
- Make a state law or appropriate money alone.
07Local · Executive
City Mayor
Provides city executive leadership, but the actual job ranges from a strong administrator to a primarily ceremonial presiding officer depending on the charter.
- Commonly controls
- Only the executive and appointment powers granted by state law and the city charter
- Does not control alone
- Assume every city department reports to the mayor; council-manager systems may place administration with a professional manager.
08Local · Election administration
Local Election Official
Administers elections under state and local law, often year-round, through voter-list work, equipment, ballots, poll workers, reporting, canvass, and certification processes.
- Commonly controls
- Operational election tasks assigned to the jurisdiction
- Does not control alone
- Change election law, eligibility rules, district boundaries, or certification standards at personal discretion.
09Local · Education governance
School Board Member
Helps govern a public school district as one member of a board; the board sets direction and oversight while administrators usually run day-to-day operations.
- Commonly controls
- One vote on the governing board
- Does not control alone
- Act for the board alone unless the law or board has specifically authorized it.