National League of Cities
Encyclopedia
The National League of Cities (NLC) is an American
advocacy organization representing 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, and encompassing 49 state municipal leagues.
NLC provides training to municipal officials, holds conferences, lobbies and provides assistance to cities in educational issues.
NLC is made up of six Centers: Research and Innovation; Federal Relations; Public Affairs and Member Relations; Enterprise Programs; Conferences, Education and Training; and the Institute for Youth, Education and Families.
Past presidents of the NLC have included:
, particularly transportation; supporting local energy efficiency and conservation efforts; strengthening and stabilizing the housing market; helping build stable families; supporting community safety; and reforming the country’s immigration
system. NLC’s core lobbying principles include avoiding unfunded mandates, preserving local authority and protecting the intergovernmental partnership.
and families in their communities. The YEF Institute offers resources in five core program areas, including early childhood
success, education
and afterschool, benefits for working families, youth participation in local government and child and youth safety.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
advocacy organization representing 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, and encompassing 49 state municipal leagues.
NLC provides training to municipal officials, holds conferences, lobbies and provides assistance to cities in educational issues.
NLC is made up of six Centers: Research and Innovation; Federal Relations; Public Affairs and Member Relations; Enterprise Programs; Conferences, Education and Training; and the Institute for Youth, Education and Families.
History
The NLC was founded in 1976 when 10 state municipal leagues banded as the American Municipal Association. At this time, 37 state leagues existed, although only 21 were considered active. Over time, the organization's membership expanded to include individual cities of all sizes.Past presidents of the NLC have included:
- IndianapolisIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
Mayor Bart PetersonBart PetersonBarton "Bart" R. Peterson is the former mayor of the U.S city of Indianapolis, Indiana. A Democrat first elected in 1999, he was defeated in 2007 in a bid for a third term in what was widely viewed as a huge upset.A lifelong Indianapolis resident, Peterson graduated from North Central High School... - Anthony A. WilliamsAnthony A. WilliamsAnthony Allen "Tony" Williams is an American politician who served as the fifth mayor of the District of Columbia for two terms, from 1999 to 2007. He had previously served as chief financial officer for the District, managing to balance the budget and achieve a surplus within two years of...
, mayor of Washington, DC - Richard LugarDick LugarRichard Green "Dick" Lugar is the senior United States Senator from Indiana and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1977, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and was its chairman from 1985 to 1987 and 2003 to 2007...
, mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana - Henry CisnerosHenry CisnerosHenry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
, mayor of San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... - Dennis ArcherDennis ArcherDennis Wayne Archer is an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit...
, mayor of DetroitDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... - William B. HartsfieldWilliam B. HartsfieldWilliam Berry Hartsfield was an American politician. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and served as its 49th and 51st Mayor from 1937 to 1941 and again from 1942 to 1962, making him the longest-serving mayor in Atlanta history....
, mayor of Atlanta - James C. Hunt, former Mayor and City Councilman, Clarksburg, West Virginia
Federal lobbying
NLC lobbies Congress on multiple issues, including city infrastructureInfrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
, particularly transportation; supporting local energy efficiency and conservation efforts; strengthening and stabilizing the housing market; helping build stable families; supporting community safety; and reforming the country’s immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
system. NLC’s core lobbying principles include avoiding unfunded mandates, preserving local authority and protecting the intergovernmental partnership.
Institute for Youth, Education and Families
The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is an entity within NLC which assists municipal officials in providing services on behalf of the children, youthYouth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
and families in their communities. The YEF Institute offers resources in five core program areas, including early childhood
Early childhood
For the video game rating with a similar age group see ESRBEarly childhood is a stage in human development. It generally includes toddlerhood and some time afterwards. Play age is an unspecific designation approximately within the scope of early childhood.-Education:Infants and toddlers experience...
success, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and afterschool, benefits for working families, youth participation in local government and child and youth safety.
Conferences
NLC hosts the annual Congress of Cities & Exposition, at which municipal officials participate in workshops, general sessions, networking opportunities and leadership training seminars. NLC's other yearly conference is the Congressional City Conference, held each March in Washington, D.C. Thousands of municipal officials discuss NLC legislative priorities with Members of Congress and the Administration, share promising practices, discuss policy and participate in leadership training opportunities.Leadership Training Institute
The Leadership Training Institute (LTI) is NLC’s primary learning and resource center for leadership development and training for our nation’s local municipal leaders, initiated in 1992. Programs provided by the Leadership Training Institute focus on strengthening leadership skills, along with exploring, sharing and recognizing innovative thinking and initiatives in community leadership. LTI is led by the Leadership Training Council, made up of local elected officials and appointed annually by the NLC President.Nation's Cities Weekly
Nation’s Cities Weekly is the official publication of the National League of Cities, highlighting Congressional activities, NLC research and NLC-sponsored conferences and workshops.NLC TV
NLC TV is NLC’s Internet-based TV web channel about and for cities. NLC TV features monthly newscasts showcasing the latest news about cities and the views of municipal officials. The channel also features web casts of events and seminars relevant to municipal officials.See also
- Local government in the United StatesLocal government in the United StatesLocal government in the United States is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties and municipalities. Some states have their counties divided into townships...
- United States Conference of MayorsUnited States Conference of MayorsUnited States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
- National Association of CountiesNational Association of CountiesThe National Association of Counties is an organization that represents county governments in the United States.The National Association of Counties is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo provides essential services to the...
- International City/County Management AssociationInternational City/County Management AssociationICMA is an association representing professionals in local government management. It is based in Washington, D.C., USA....
- National Governors AssociationNational Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
- National Conference of State LegislaturesNational Conference of State LegislaturesThe National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
- Council of State GovernmentsCouncil of State GovernmentsThe Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
- Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
- List of micro-regional organizations