Forms of Government

The oldest form of local government in the United States is the town or township meeting of all local voters, usually held annually. At these meetings, local officials are elected and laws and taxes are approved. This system, which dates from colonial times, operates only in some New England states and has become rare because few communities are small enough for it to function well, even though it remains an American ideal. When a town gets to be more than a village, more elaborate structures are usually adopted.