PSC102 State and Local Government Unit 6 DB: Your Local Government, POST University, August 2025

            PSC102 State and Local Government Unit 6 DB: Your Local Government

Chapter 10 concludes by discussing the issue of “good” governance at the local level.   

Good governance at the local level means that a city council or other governing body effectively and efficiently manages its responsibilities, ensuring that policies and decisions reflect the interests of the community and are implemented transparently and inclusively. It involves sound decision-making, public participation, and adherence to ethical conduct and the rule of law. 

Since you have now learned about the different types of local governments, which do you think is best at providing “good” governance and why?   

I definitely think that great government has to start at the local city level. One obvious difference in the city level is the size of the city and how many citizens. The smaller the city, then they have more control over what happens and how to maintain their services. The larger the city, then more control and participation has to be executed and maintained. Another aspect that affects city government is how well the county government that surrounds the city is run and maintained. For example, in Alameda County where I live, the county jurisdiction is where the local and county prisons are located. In addition, the county government has the unincorporated cities that don’t have their own government panels and control.  

When responding, think about how local government is set up in the community you live in.  What is the type and form of government?   

I live in Alameda County in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, on the east side of the Bay Bridge and across the bay from San Francisco. Alameda County is the largest and most diverse county in Northern California. It has massive cities like Oakland and Fremont and Hayward and then it also has a long list of small unincorporated cities like Ashland and San Lorenzo that have no local government of their own and are run by the county instead.  

In addition, the entire west side of the county lines against the San Francisco Bay, which includes the Oakland International Airport, Hayward Airport and many estuaries and protected lands. There are three bridges that cross into the county from other parts of the Bay Area, bringing in people from all over California, 24 hours a day 

Would you agree with the majority of Americans who are reasonably satisfied with their local government?  Please explain why. 

The available data suggests that a majority of Americans hold a favorable view of their local governments, however, this favorability has seen a slight decline in recent years.  

Here's a breakdown of recent findings: 

• Positive View, but Declining: A Pew Research Center analysis conducted in late 2023 indicated that 61% of U.S. adults rated their local government positively. However, this is down from 66% in 2022 and 69% in 2019. 
• More Trust than Other Levels: Americans consistently express higher levels of trust in their local governments compared to state and federal governments. 
• Relatively High Trust: According to a September 2024 survey, 67% of respondents expressed a great or fair amount of trust in their local government, compared to 55% for their state government and a lower figure for the federal government. 
• Partisan Agreement: Both Republicans and Democrats tend to share relatively high levels of confidence in local governments.  

In conclusion, while the majority of Americans remain reasonably satisfied with their local governments, this satisfaction has somewhat decreased in recent years. Nevertheless, local governments still enjoy a higher level of public trust and positive perception compared to state and federal governments. 

I think a lot of the positive views of their local government is because there is a higher chance that people know each other from events and their kids’ schools and neighborhoods. That is tougher to do at the state and federal level.