The largest municipal government in Missouri is located in Kansas City. The city is governed by a council/manager system. The job of city manager has dwindled over time. Following the excesses of the Pendergast administration, the non-elective office of city manager was established.

The mayor presides over the Kansas City City Council, which consists of 12 members elected from six districts (one member elected by voters in the district and one at-large member elected by voters citywide). The presiding member is the mayor. Kansas City operates under a “weak-mayor” system, with the city council holding the majority of power. In practice, however, the mayor wields considerable power in developing and implementing public policies.

Every fourth odd-numbered year, Kansas City hosts municipal elections. The most recent municipal election was conducted in May 2019. The officials started an office in August 2019 and will serve until 2023.

During the days of machine politics, Pendergast was the most visible leader. Harry S Truman, the most nationally famous Democrat linked with the machine, served as a Senator, Vice President, and President of the United States from 1945 to 1953.

Kansas City is home to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, one of Missouri’s two federal district courts. The Eastern District of Missouri United States District Court is located in St. Louis. It is also the seat of the Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals, one of the court’s three districts (the Eastern District is in St. Louis, and the Southern District is in Springfield).