ABSTRACT
The social, economic, demographic, and historical forces discussed thus far greatly influence what goes on in local politics, but before we get down to the nuts and bolts of local government, that is, politics and power, another primary element affecting local politics must be considered. That element is the intergovernmental environment of local politics. Local governments sometimes cooperate with, but mostly compete with and cause problems for, one another. We have already examined some of the impacts of suburbanization and fragmentation; in chapter 14, we will study this further in the context of models for regional or metropolitan governance. The federal government also plays a direct role in local politics, although less today than at some times in the past. By far the most important intergovernmental influence is state government.
