IX: Local Governance
“Government power must be dispersed. If government is to exercise power, better in the county than in the state, better in the state than in Washington. If I do not like what my local community does, be it in sewage disposal, or zoning, or schools, I can move to another local community, and though few may take this step, the mere possibility acts as a check. If I do not like what Washington imposes, I have few alternatives in this world of jealous nations.”
Milton Friedman
Capitalism and Freedom
Beyond government’s primary duty to protection people and their property, there are societal needs, which are generally accepted as universal goods. Education is an example.
To maximize human freedom society must seek family, community and local government solutions before national or international governments.
The only thing individuals “need” is for the government to protect our rights – that is the purpose of a government according to the Declaration of Independence; and otherwise stay out of our lives. Education is a private need – individuals are educated, not “society” or the “public” – there is no such thing as a “public good”; and no government, federal, state OR local, should be in the business of trying to identify or provide same.