In many ways, local governments constitute the heart of American democracy. We’ll unpack why this might be in this course.

The role of Local governments has changed dramatically during the rise of the administrative state, both in scale and function. As the role of the central government has grown and expanded, so has the role of local government. Census reports indicate that there are more than 89,000 local governments in the United States. These include cities, counties, townships, and special districts.

The expansion in the number, complexity, and role of local government jurisdictions since the New Deal has greatly increased the challenges for those who govern. At an administrative level, they have to coordinate more of their work with other jurisdictions.

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