There are few absolutes in how Americans govern themselves. We tinker with the shape of voting districts. We increase the numbers on county commissions. We change from at-large to single-member districts, and we even form regional governments. Our history is an evolution in the theory and practice of governance, exemplified most clearly by the continuing increases in state budgets and federal authority. However, the cornerstone of American government has been, and always should be, local or community authority. As is often said, “Those closest to the people govern best.”
