THE IDEA

Local Governments & Democracy

In 2026, the United States will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As noted by the Semiquincentenial Commission, formed by Congress to support and encourage national, regional, and local activities for the celebration

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America’s 250th anniversary is about more than reflecting on our past, it’s about honoring the contributions of individuals who built this country, the innovations that put this country on the map and a man on the moon, and imagining what the next 250 years might look like for our children and the generations to come.

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The American democratic experiment has many told and widely accepted stories that are part of the general understanding about government and governmental institutions in the United States. And while the constitution goes to great lengths to separate powers and define federalism, the most widespread level of government, local government is not mentioned at all. In the United States there are more than 36,000 general purpose local governments - cities, counties and parishes, towns, townships, and villages, many of which have been chartered into existence since 1900 as the United States grew into the country it is today.

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Despite their lack of introduction in the country’s founding documents, local governments are closest to the people that live and work in places large and small in America. Local jurisdictions provide a substantial part of the services, utilities, and infrastructure necessary for modern life. Maybe more importantly, these same local governments are bastions of democracy where public meetings are held, constituents are engaged, and elections are managed.

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Much of the American democratic experiment has played out in our nation’s cities, counties, towns, and townships. Most people know that the Declaration of Independence was drafted and more than a decade later the constitutional convention was held in Philadelphia, one the earliest local governments in the United States.