Democracy and Local Control

Or the story of how the founders are the real champions of democracy

The progressive left hates local control but proudly proclaims support for “democracy.”

Yet democracy literally translates to “people power.”

The problem for the socialist left, then, is that the influence an individual person can wield locally is exponentially greater than what most could wield at the federal level.

To undermine local control then is an attack on democracy and the people’s power.

And contrary to the democratic wishes of the founders.

The founders wanted to maximize democracy by making state and local elections important.

The thinking was that the people would make the best decisions about what they know best and what is important to them -- which would be their state and local governments.

Likewise because these governments have such an outsized influence on ordinary citizens’ day to day, citizens would both be knowledgeable about their politics as well as engaged in what’s going on.

And for this reason the founders gave state and local politicians approximately equal, if not greater, power to those in federal office.

The result was a historically under-appreciated masterclass in democracy and democratic theory.

For only the founders and their diligent study could preserve what’s best about democracy -- the people having a say in their government -- without eventually destroying the entire government as the Athenians did and the progressives will eventually do.

Thus to bring back democracy, an enduring democracy or democratic element in government that doesn’t result in tyranny,  means one thing: conferring state and local control back to citizens and away from bureaucrats and regulators.

Zigmund Reichenbach has an M.A. in Philosophy from West Chester University.  You can support his work at https://ko-fi.com/zigmundreichenbach