ABSTRACT
Virtually all countries have two levels of government in common. National-level government generally deals with foreign affairs, defense, managing currency, and the regulation of commerce, although often much more. Local-level government tends to focus on more mundane and smaller-scale issues, managing day-to-day concerns in areas such as police departments, sanitation, and land-use zoning. Where countries differ significantly is between the national and the local governments, at the level most commonly termed provinces, but also known by such terms as departments, states, cantons, or prefectures.
