Question

in what ways the local government depend our democracy

Answer 1

Local governments are infra-sovereign geographic units found within sovereign nation or quasi-sovereign state. Like other units of government, local government units possess a defined area, a population, an organisation and also the authority to undertake and the power to perform public activities.

Within its territory, a local government unit seeks to give opportunities to the people for the expression of their opinion in regard to local affairs. It enables them to choose their representatives to take care of local affairs on their behalf.

However, it would not be correct to say that the local government shares any part of the political sovereignty of the state or the legal sovereignty of the government, within the state. Though the word ‘government’ is used for this politico-administrative organisation, it is not government in the sense of a legal sovereign by any meaning

It is a semi-autonomous politico- administrative territorial organisation, having come into existence in many countries as the result of decentralization of powers.

In certain countries like England the process was different. Those politico-administrative organisations sprang up from the local communities. But, before they could claim to have defi­nite and comprehensive powers to conduct local affairs, they had to go to the central govern­ment for a title.

It was the Municipal Corporation Act, 1835, which gave the boroughs of En­gland the general frame of local government which they retain till today.

The Local Government Act, 1833 recognized county administration in England by transferring administrative powers to elective county councils. Likewise, the District and Parish Councils Act, 1894 provided for urban and rural districts, known collectively as ‘county districts.

The Local Government Act, 1933 and the London Government Act, 1939, said to be the two modern Acts of Parliament, describe the constitution of several types of public bodies concerning local government. Jackson is of the view that local government as applied to England is hardly capable of precise definition.

However, the term according to him has certain implications:

“It is concerned with localities and not with the country as a whole; it must for this reason be subordinate to the national government. The term further implies (as does any other form of government) some jurisdiction or activity of a public nature; it implies also the exist­ence of authorities empowered to exercise that jurisdiction and activity.”