1. What is the importance of local government in a democratic society?

Local governments essentially are the bedrock of the Philippine democracy. Being the government structures and institutions closest to the people, they are the frontline of governance. Local governments play a significant role in distant and isolated areas of the country, since these governments are the links in the chain of governance that connect the people with the central Government. Their role as frontline institution is significant because the Philippines is an archipelagic country composed of more than 7,000 islands. Basic services can easily be given to the people thru the local governments. 2. How would you distinguish local and national government? A national government governs a whole country. It formulate policies and set standards and guidelines, provide funding support, augment basic services assigned to a certain local government units, provide technical and other forms of assistance and coordinate on the discharge of functions. While the local government is just responsible for a part of a country, like a town council or a regional council. They do not have as much power as the government and only deal with issues within their particular regions. National and local government differ in the areas of influence, constitution and formation, policies they implement, autonomy, resource and status among other things. 3. How is the relationship between local and national governments distinguished? Local governments are subordinated to the national government. 4. Describe the local government system in France, in Great Britain and in the United States? Local government in the United States is structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers of local government: counties and municipalities. Some states further have their counties divided into townships. There are several different types of local government at the municipal level, generally reflecting the needs of different levels of population densities; typical examples include the city, town, borough, and village. The types and nature of these municipal entities varies from state to state. Many rural areas and even some suburban areas of many states have no municipal government below the county level, while others do not operate under a distinct county government at all. In other places the different tiers are merged together, for example as a consolidated citycounty in which city and county functions are managed by a single municipal government, or in the case of towns in New England, which in

some states have completely replaced the county as the unit of local government. The local governments are classified by the United States Census Bureau. In addition, there are also often local or regional special purpose local governments. Special purpose governments include special districts that exist for specific purposes, such as to provide fire protection, sewer service, transit service or to manage water resources, and in particular school districts to manage schools. Such special purpose districts often encompass areas in multiple municipalities. Types of local government The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution makes local government a matter of state rather than federal law, with special cases for territories and the District of Columbia. As a result, the states have adopted a wide variety of systems of local government. The United States Census Bureau conducts the Census of Governments every five years to compile statistics on government organization, public employment, and government finances. The categories of local government established in this Census of Governments is a convenient basis for understanding local government in the United States. The categories are as follows:[1] 1. 2. 3. 4. County Governments Town or Township Governments Municipal Governments Special-Purpose Local Governments

5. What is decentralization? Decentralization is a strategy used by the government towards democratizing the political system and accelerating the attainment of sustainable development for the reason that it will promote or allow fuller participation of the citizens in government affairs and will give the local governments and the communities a more active role in the economic, s o c i a l a n d political development. G o v e r n m e n t f u r t h e r a s s u m e s t h a t t h r o u g h decentralization development would be more responsive to the needs of the people and would create opportunities in the regions, promote employment and economic activities and as well strengthen peoples participation in the affairs of the government. Different forms of decentralization can be distinguished primarily in terms of the extent of authority transferred and the amount of autonomy. Decentralization may take the form of devolution and deconcentration. Deconcentration involves the redistribution of administrative responsibilities only within the central government

6. What are the characteristics of a local government? Local autonomy local government has granted more powers, authority, responsibility and resources by the national government to the local government in order to be self reliant and active partners in attaining national goals. Decentralization- local government has the power and authority from the central institution to lower or local levels of a government. It hopes to achieve the economic development at the regional and local levels, as the local chief executives are given more freedom in carrying out their own programs that are suitable to the conditions in their respective areas. Accountability. There is an ensured institution of mechanisms of recall, initiative and referendum Participative governance. There is a periodic consultation with non governmental and peoples organizations and other sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in a specific area of jurisdictions.

7. What do you think are the common problems facing the local government legislative bodies in our country? 8. Give three purposes of local autonomy and explain how each affects local development? 9. How does the administrative divisions of the Republic of the Philippine relate to local and national development 10. Is a budgetary requirement a usual problem confronting local legislative bodies? Explain your answer 11. What is the difference between deconcentration and devolution? Give an example and explain Deconcentration involves the redistribution of administrative responsibilities only within the central government. It is the assignment of functions to ad hoc bodies and spec ial authorities created in the region to render technical assistance on regional development. This could be done in different ways: 1) the shifting of the workload from a central government m i n i s t r y o r a g e n c y h e a d q u a r t e r s t o i t s o w n f i e l d s t a f f l o c a t e d i n o f f i c e s o u t s i d e t h e national capital. 2) The transfer of some decision -making discretion to field staffs but w i t h guidelines set by the central ministry. 3) Local a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , i n w h i c h a l l subordinate levels of government within a country are agents of central authority, usually the executive branch Devolution, on the other hand, seeks to create or strengthen independent levels or units of government through giving them certain functions or create units of government that are outside of control. Devolution implies the

needs to develop local governments as institutions. This is an arrangement in which there is reciprocal relationship b e t w e e n c e n t r a l a n d l o c a l governments. The LGUs has the ability to interact reciprocally with other units in the system of government of which it is part.

12. What is the difference between political decentralization and administrative decentralization. Which of the two do you prefer? Why? Political decentralization and involves the transfer of power, responsibility and resources for the performance of certain functions from the national to the local governments. Its fundamental characteristics are: a. Local g o v e r n m e n t u n i t s ( L G U s ) a r e a u t o n o m o u s , i n d e p e n d e n t a n d c l e a r l y p e r c e i v e d a s a separate level of government over which central authorities exercise little or no direct control. b. LGUs have clear and legally recognized geographical boundaries within which they exercise authority and perform public functions. c. LGUs have corporate s t a t u s a n d h a v e t h e p o w e r t o s e c u r e r e s o u r c e s to perform the function. Administrative decentralization is not the transfer of power from the central government but merely t o d e l e g a t e s u c h p o w e r s a n d responsibilities to the hierarchical levels, primarily to facilitate the administration of n a t i o n a l programs and services. Administrative decentralization can take effect without the necessity of legislation but with the issuance of an executive or administrative order. A l t h o u g h t h e l o c a l u n i t s now have responsibilities bestowed to them, they ar e still supervised and controlled the central government; therefore all transactions cannot be done unless approved by the central government. They are not to decide on their own.

13. What is the pattern of local governments in the U.S.? Describe each type. What are the forms of municipal government? Which form did we adopt for our cities? Which form do you prefer? Explain your preference.