Comments on: Reason: Local government as postmodern pluralism http://athousandnations.com/2009/06/10/reason-local-government-as-postmodern-pluralism/ Towards a Cambrian Explosion in Government Tue, 29 May 2012 02:19:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Ron in LA http://athousandnations.com/2009/06/10/reason-local-government-as-postmodern-pluralism/#comment-257 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:34:10 +0000 http://athousandnations.com/?p=225#comment-257 You can’t use the phenomenon of homeowners’ associations in California as some indication that there is a groundswell for for some micro-local, responsive government that is impelled by market-like forces to craft a hospitable set of rules. These HOA’s are mandated by the state as a condition for permission for subdivision. The structure of an organization of your neighbors with the right to micromanage your home life leads to incredible restrictions like what color you can paint your house, whether you can put up a flag, get a satellite dish, hang out your laundry, etc.

There is an irony that the smaller a unit of government becomes, the more likely it is to be oppressive. Even ‘conservative’ communities will, at a sufficiently small local level, vote in severe rent control, building moratoria, bans on liquor stores, etc. Libertarian relief from these local busybodies is much more likely to come at the state level.

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