Title: The Case for Local Government | RealClearPolicy
Headings: The Case for Local Government
The Case for Local Government
By Michael Hendrix
March 04, 2019

Content: Americans trust their local governments because they are tasked with doing things we want: keeping us safe, educating our children, cleaning the streets. And while we have some say in who our nationally elected leaders are and what they do, it is hardly the sort of choice offered by our nearly 36,000 local governments. At the local level, we may vote with our feet as well as our ballots. It is time we gave local a chance once again. The people and places closest to us are where we tend to direct our care and our energy; they should enjoy the authority necessary for diverse citizens to pursue flourishing lives together. In the 21st century, localism should be the rallying cry for those who believe in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Local governments are a living tradition within the political order set out in the Constitution. The Founders recognized the municipality as a natural political entity arising from Americans’ associational life.