Legislators get their jobs by being elected. They make and pass laws. They approve budgets and work with lots of different people. They need to make time to meet with the people who elected them. They can be senators and congressmen in Washington D.C. or in our state capitol. They can be elected to the school board or town council.

• Create laws
• Create budgets for schools, towns, cities, counties, states, or the nation
• Make speeches
• Go to meetings

• Legislators can work long hours. Some work only once a week at a local meeting. Others may work 60 hours a week all year.
• State legislators work other jobs when not at the capitol. They might be away from home a lot.
• Most legislators do not hold this job for long.

• Budgets and reports
• They work with many different people: other legislators and people from other branches of government.
• They also must listen to and work with people that live in their towns and business owners.

• Must be a certain age
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must have good speaking skills
• Should be very involved in the community

• Corporate chief executive
• Corporate board members
• Military officer

• Writing
• Drama
• Social Studies
• Math

Learn and Color: Government and Public Administration

American Jobs 1

American Jobs 2

American Jobs 3

 

WE THE KIDS: THE PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES by David Catrow

MY SENATOR AND ME: A DOG'S EYE VIEW OF WASHINGTON D.C. by Edward Kennedy

BEING A GOOD CITIZEN: A BOOK ABOUT CITIZENSHIP (WAY TO BE!) by Mary Small and Stacy Previn

WHAT'S A MAYOR? by Nancy Harris

RYHME: A PIG IN POLITICS by Will Maks

MADAM PRESIDENT: THE EXTRAORDINARY, TRUE (AND EVOLVING) STORY OF WOMEN IN POLITICS by Catherine Thimmesh

WORKING AT CITY HALL (21st Century Junior Library: Careers) by Lucoa Raatma

ARTHUR MEETS THE PRESIDENT by Marc Brown 

Ben's Guide to How Laws Are Made

U.S. Capitol: "Kids in the House"

Virginia General Assembly Grades K-3 Activities page

Virginia Career VIEW Career Search Bureau of Labor Statistics