Local Government Is Where It All Starts and Ends

In today’s politically charged world many believe that national politics are what shape our world. When in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Politics start and end at the local level.

Why National Politics Dominate Attention

When you analyze the landscape of the political world you find that politics at the local level are what actually shape the day to day of everything we do. From local policies set by school boards, electricity cooperatives and boards, fire protection districts, water users associations, city councils and every other local board and council that touch our lives on a daily basis.

These decisions permeate up to the next level of the political apparatus in ways we cannot even fathom unless we are paying attention. Which, let’s be honest, how many everyday Americans pay attention?

Data Reveals Widespread Apathy

Data bears this out. Voter turnout in presidential elections hovers around 66% of the voting eligible population. Yet municipal elections often see turnout below 15%, mayoral races average around 20 to 26%, and school board contests draw just 5 to 10%. Special districts for water, fire or sanitation can dip under 5% in some areas. A handful of motivated voters end up deciding who controls the services that define daily life.

We were fortunate to get a 35% turnout in our most recent municipal election and nearly 50% in our last school board election, we were an anomaly.  But overall, the numbers are extremely low and we need to see better participation.  We are also looking to consolidate our elections to coincide with the Congressional schedule to increase voter turnout and save us a little money.  When turnout is low, the voice of the people is not being properly represented. Practical, common-sense changes can be implemented to increase turnout.  Local jurisdictions need to explore every option to gain public participation in the process. 

Low turnout creates an opening for highly motivated participants to exert outsized influence. In many cases these individuals advance policies that diverge from the core beliefs held by the broader community. The result is incremental policy shifts, sometimes subtle and sometimes profound, that gradually erode foundational principles of our Republic. Elections have consequences, some positive and others negative. It is often not the dramatic single decision but the steady accumulation of small changes over time that inflicts the greatest damage on our freedoms and liberties.

Real World Examples of Local Impact

Consider what those low turnout numbers mean in practice. Local school boards oversee more than 50 million public school students nationwide. They set curriculum standards, approve budgets, hire superintendents and shape everything from reading lists to sports policies. In recent years boards in places like Virginia Beach have voted on diversity initiatives or book access with turnout as low as 20%. Those choices do not stay contained. They spark statewide debates, influence legislative agendas in state capitals and eventually reach Congress or the White House.

The same pattern holds for utilities. Rural electric cooperatives and water districts set rates and infrastructure priorities that determine monthly bills for millions of households. Zoning decisions by city councils dictate where housing gets built, how much it costs and whether traffic chokes local roads. Fire and police budgets affect response times and community safety. Each of these choices ripples outward. Successful local experiments become models for state law. Local officials who prove effective often run for higher office, carrying their priorities with them. State and local governments together spend roughly 15% of national GDP and employ more than 20 million people, nearly seven times the federal workforce. Their collective decisions drive economic outcomes far more directly than distant federal rhetoric.

The Constitutional Foundation

The founders of our Constitutional Republic understood this reality. Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution guarantees every state a republican form of government, rooted in the idea that power must remain close to the people. They designed a system where self-governance begins in towns and counties precisely to prevent the concentration of authority that had fueled tyranny elsewhere. James Madison viewed local institutions as the first and strongest check against factionalism and overreach. Yet today we treat local races as afterthoughts.

The Perils of Political Silence

How long have you been told that talking politics and religion is toxic and forbidden conversation? The reality is that this is why we have an apathetic population. One that does not pay attention to the very things that make a Constitutional Republic work. When neighbors avoid serious discussion about school funding or utility rates, the vacuum fills with organized special interests who do show up. This dynamic creates a silent majority and a vocal minority. The result is governance by the few rather than by the true voice of “We the People.”

A Simple Path Forward

Reversing this requires nothing dramatic. It requires showing up. Attend a city council meeting. Review the candidates for your local school board or water district. Vote in the off-year elections that most people skip. Talk with your neighbors about the potholes on your street or the curriculum in your child’s classroom. These are not abstract debates. They are the concrete decisions that shape property values, education quality, public safety and monthly expenses.

National headlines will always dominate the airwaves. That is by design. But the policies that actually govern your life are written closer to home. Local government is where it all starts and ends. If Americans want a Constitutional Republic that functions as intended, the first step is to stop treating local politics as someone else’s problem. Pay attention. Get involved. Our republic depends on it.

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Michael is a father of five, grandfather of three, Mayor of Montrose, Colorado, editor-in-chief of USALibertyReport.com and remains enamored by the genius of the Constitution and our founders practical outlook on governance.