American Government Reflections

Chapter 21: Local Government

U.S. Communities
Before the 1900s most Americans lived in rural areas. These rural areas were dominated by
agricultural production, ranching, forestry,and more. Today, most Americans live urban areas and
the suburbs. This is because of the increase in jobs from industrial development and improved
transportation and quality of living. Also, improved technology lessened the need for labor in
agricultural production which forced many people to the cities in search of work. With better
transportation, came the suburbs which allowed urban areas to support more people. Now, twothird of the U.S. population lives in metropolitan areas and several metropolitan areas have
started to create megalopolises. I think that further advances in technology and science could
increase the number of people living in and around urban areas and greatly improve the quality
of life. With this, more local governments may need to be created and the existing local
governments will need to be organized and have strong leadership.
Local Government Organization
Local governments are created by their states and are usually strictly controlled by the state
government. The local governments can take on several forms including counties, towns and
townships, and municipalities. All states are divided into counties that function as a unit of
government that governs a particular area. Towns and townships provide services for those living
outside major cities and municipalities provide services beyond those. Municipalities can be
further broken down into three forms: mayor-council system, council-manager system, and
commissions. The mayor-council system consists of a city council and mayor and I think that a
strong council and mayor is need for this form of government. The council-manager system is
similar to the former system, however the manager is elected by the legislators. Finally, the
commission system is made up of three to nine members that make up the whole city policy and
I think that this system has the most potential for abuse of power as few individuals participate.
There are also supporters for metropolitan governments, however I that they would have trouble
governing a large metropolitan area and that it would be harder for them to address concerns of
all the communities.
Revenue and Local Services
Local governments must also raise funding to function properly. Many local governments use
property, income, and sales taxes to generate revenue for the government. Property tax is usually
based on current property values. Income taxes are fairly easy for the government to implement
and they provide a much needed source of revenue. Then, sales taxes also create revenue. Both
property and sales taxes are opposed by many people as they consider them regressive and unfair
to lower-income people. Additionally, local governments charge for user fees such as the use of
parks, public facilities, and more. I think that this motivates people and communities to make
economical use of the services and helps increase efficiency while reducing waste. This could
apply to water and other precious resources and charging for these resources will help make
people conserve more. Then, similar to state governments, local governments also receive federal
grants that allot money to the government for public welfare.