The next section of the book addresses different local political systems in different nations. The authors' main point in this section is that elected local offices are far more streamlined in foreign nations than they are here, there is typically a "town council" or equivalent organization and sometimes a mayor but not a confusing combination of town meetings town councils, selectman, electors and others as there is here. This substantially more confusing system, in the author's opinion dissuades people from participating in local government because they do not know what any individual body does. While I understand that such confusion is a problem here the author presents no evidence that participation in local government is higher in other countries and I would imagine that part of the reason that local government is so convoluted here is that not many people care, the true cause is hard to separate from the effect. Despite my objections to the authors' theories I agree with them that local government should be streamlined, standardized, and shrunk. One way to do this would be for the federal government to mandate a structure for all town governments, for example a city council and a mayor but no town meeting, board of selectmen etc. It would also help if geographical distinctions were simplified, for example some local services are run through the state, some through the town, some through the country etc. A simpler system could abolish intermediary levels between states and towns and make local government responsible for more services as well as simpler.