Civics U: Which Level of Government
People often complain about how much the government is involved in our lives. Actually it is the governments, plural, as the federal, state, tribal, local (city, township, county) governments promulgate regulations, impose taxes, provide infrastructure, and sponsor social programs.
Given the large number of governments and government departments and agencies, the question arises about what authority, powers, and programs should be held and conducted by each level: Which government should build roads, which should operate and control schools, which should levy taxes, which should make which laws, which should fund and operate which programs, and so on. And, very importantly, which rights, roles and responsibilities should be reserved to individual persons and private entities such as businesses, churches, and social organizations.
In the beginning of the country, governments were limited in size and scope. The colonies formed a confederation and then united as a country of states with a federal government having limited powers and states retaining many powers.
An earlier ideal held that a lower level of government is closer to the people and allows for their better understanding, input, and involvement in decision-making.
Today, however, things seem to be different with all levels of government, and even school districts, depending on respective state laws, are able variously to build buildings, operate courts, hire police, and impose income, property, sales, business, tourist, or other taxes to fund a range of activities. Meanwhile there is growth in state and federal or central government functions, while lower levels and units of government and even private entities, look to the government for solutions to problems – or at least for funds.
The dependency on outside funding from government and other sources is so common that cities, schools, states, tribes, and departments thereof often have full-time grant writers to write applications for grants from higher governmental and private agencies.
Here, for example, are funds received within just the past few months by a town with a population of 22,000: 6 state grants to city’s street department, events center, police department, and tourism and marketing department; 2 federal grants to city’s behavioral health department, and airport; and 1 private grant to the city’s fire department.
The questions arise: why does, should, or can a city not fully pay for its own operations? If the state and federal government taxed the city citizens and businesses less, could the city citizens then decide what they want and (tax themselves to) pay for it – perhaps with fewer strings attached? There is usually some degree of local design needed and allowed in programs funded by the higher level of government, but there are also constraints.
It does not appear that government in and of our society will be reduced. So another consideration applying to all levels of government is in what ways the body politic is or needs to be a community – to have a sense of shared identity and purpose –in order to form and consent to the activities of their government, whether city, county, tribal, or federal. Having a sense of community that unifies and empowers citizens at any level requires that the fabric of society includes at least some shared cultural values. These values can then shape and bring support to decisions about what our governments do. Today, in a country and in communities that are in many ways pluralistic and diverse, we face an on-going need and challenge to identity and affirm core values that provide a foundation for individual, social, and government decisions and actions.