Mayors Are Key to Our Future

From Urbanomics:

"The modern world favours localism. Growing complexity and change, the clustering of the resources needed for innovation, and the diverse demands and expectations of modern citizens, all put a premium on getting decision-making closer to the people. Most national domestic policy fails. If this sounds like a sweeping statement, I offer in evidence decades of welfare reform, health reform, education reform, prison reform — and so on. Some local policy, in contrast, succeeds. Around the world, surveys show mayors to be more popular and effective than presidents and prime ministers. On the whole, local leaders are pragmatic dealmakers. Voters prefer politicians who are close to the action and keen to emphasise that geographical loyalty comes above political allegiance."