Cities: Don’t Just Wait for the Feds

Last week, City Observatory’s Joe Cortright provided a caustic review of our book, The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism. In his piece, “Cities Alone Can’t Fix What’s Wrong with American Government,” Joe acknowledges the rising power of cities as problem solvers, but also argues that fighting to preserve a “competent, generous, fair and functional” national government must be the highest priority during these dangerous times. He contends that “[t]he clarion call to act locally diverts our political attention from the national stage and perhaps, unwittingly, becomes an excuse to stand by and watch these foundational programs be destroyed.”

We have been big admirers of Joe’s work over the years and welcome his voice in the debate. We echo his fervent belief that a strong federal partner—performing redistributive roles and market- and society-shaping functions that only a national government can do—is a critical foundation for a strong localism and a prosperous society. We also share his deep concern that we are living through a period “when the fundamental functions of the national government are being steadily undermined.”