Local Government
In every civilised country of any importance the functions performed by the various governing bodies and individuals are capable of one great and useful classification. They are either central, that is, exercised by persons whose jurisdiction extends over the whole area ruled by the State, or local, that is, exercised by persons whose jurisdiction is limited to some special portion of the State's territory. It is not a question of the situation, nor of the method of appointment, but of the jurisdiction of the body or official in question.
Civilised States fall roughly into two great classes, in respect of the relationship between their organs of central and local government respectively. Either the local organs are a creation of and subordinate to the central government, or the central government is a creature of and historically subordinate to the local organs. Of course very few States fall completely on either side of this line of demarcation, but it is generally easy to tell of a particular State to which side it inclines.
The type of the former class is the new country, such as the western States of the Americas and the Australian colonies, or the country which had violently broken with its past, such as France. The type of the latter is the "old" country, such as England, Norway, and the Puritan influenceof colonies of America. Between the two classes of State the differences of political character are immense; and are partly the result, partly the cause, of the difference of organisation.
It may be said, briefly, that, in countries where the organs of Local Government are under the thumb of the central authority, although the efficiency of administration may be great, the political character of the people will be unsatisfactory; it will be apathetic for long periods, and then dangerously excited, with the result of instability and corruption in the central government. On the other hand, a country of strong local government may be slow to move, and blundering in its methods, but it will be a country of steady progress, and of political stability and honesty.
The great outlines of local government in England were drawn ages before central government came into existence. Central administration, as distinct from mere political overlordship, dates from the twelfth century, and was the work of French officials. Local administration is at least five hundred years older, and was probably the adaptation of primeval Teutonic custom to the conditions of new settlement.
Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people. All state governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all states uphold a "republican form" of government, although the three-branch structure is not required.
The US Bureau of the Census (part of the Commerce Department) has identified no fewer than 89,055 local governmental units in the United States, including counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special districts. Americans have come to rely on their governments to perform a wide variety of tasks which, in the early days of the republic, people did for themselves. In colonial days, there were few police officers or firefighters, even in the large cities; governments provided neither street lights nor street cleaners. To a large extent, people protected their own property and saw to their families’ needs.
Now, meeting these needs is seen as the responsibility of the whole community, acting through government. Even in small towns, the police, fire, welfare, and health department functions are exercised by governments. Hence, the bewildering array of jurisdictions.
Local governments generally include two tiers: counties, also known as boroughs in Alaska and parishes in Louisiana, and municipalities, or cities/towns. In some states, counties are divided into townships. Municipalities can be structured in many ways, as defined by state constitutions, and are called, variously, townships, villages, boroughs, cities, or towns. Various kinds of districts also provide functions in local government outside county or municipal boundaries, such as school districts or fire protection districts.
Municipal governments — those defined as cities, towns, boroughs (except in Alaska), villages, and townships — are generally organized around a population center and in most cases correspond to the geographical designations used by the United States Census Bureau for reporting of housing and population statistics. Municipalities vary greatly in size, from the millions of residents of New York City and Los Angeles to the 287 people who live in Jenkins, Minnesota.
Municipalities generally take responsibility for parks and recreation services, police and fire departments, housing services, emergency medical services, municipal courts, transportation services (including public transportation), and public works (streets, sewers, snow removal, signage, and so forth).
Whereas the federal government and state governments share power in countless ways, a local government must be granted power by the state. In general, mayors, city councils, and other governing bodies are directly elected by the people.
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