Local government generally refers to the government of an area smaller than a country, state, or province. Such areas include counties, cities, towns, and villages. Each unit of local government has some important responsibility for the welfare of its citizens and provides certain services. Most local governments are run by elected officials and have some power of taxation. In the United States, each state government creates and has legal control over all local governments in the state.
Traditionally, Americans have strongly supported the principle of local self-government. Some scholars argue that small local governments are more responsive to citizens' wishes than are large units of government. They also feel that local governments encourage people to become involved in the life of their community. Other scholars believe that local governments have certain weaknesses. For example, they claim that an individual local unit often cannot deal effectively with such problems as transportation and pollution when they require the cooperation of other local units in the area.
