Localism’s Petty Authoritarian Problem

The assumption that local power is naturally more accountable can fail when small‑scale officials are thin‑skinned, conspiratorial, and surround themselves with security to avoid constituents. Examples include a county executive demanding a multi‑person security detail for travel and school boards treating parents as threats. Decentralization without healthy norms and constraints can devolve into proximate autocracy. — This reframes federalism debates by arguing accountability depends on culture and incentives, not just proximity, pushing reform toward guardrails for local governance.