An alderman is an elected member of a city council who represents a specific neighborhood or district within a city. Think of a city as being divided into sections, like slicing a pizza into pieces. Each section elects its own alderman to speak for that neighborhood's needs and concerns at city hall.

Aldermen vote on local laws, budgets, and policies that affect their city. If residents in one neighborhood need better streetlights or want to improve a local park, they bring these issues to their alderman, who can propose solutions to the full city council. The alderman becomes the voice of that district, making sure its concerns are heard when important decisions are made.

The term is most commonly used in cities like Chicago, where the city council has fifty aldermen, one for each of the city's fifty wards. Not all cities use this title: some call these officials “council members” or “councillors” instead. Today, aldermen can be any gender, but they still serve as local leaders who connect everyday citizens with their city government.