Reflections on federalism at America 250

Key Takeaways

Counties are where federal policy stops being policy and starts being real

When Congress passes a law, counties implement it. When a state shifts priorities, counties adapt. When our communities face a crisis — an overdose epidemic, a housing shortage, a wildfire — county officials show up first and stay longest.

Counties are where federal and state policy stops being policy and starts being real. We are not a delivery mechanism for decisions made elsewhere. We are where American governance actually lives.

As America reflects on 250 years of self-governance, the growing conversations about the health of today’s federalism almost always runs on two tracks — Washington and the states. Counties are the forgotten tier. That has to change.

The oldest governments in America

Counties predate the republic, dating back to 1634. We were governing before there was a Constitution to govern under. For 250 years, counties have been the connective tissue between distant decision-makers and the lives people actually lead.

This role is being increasingly tested and stressed. Federal and state preemption of county authority is growing. Responsibilities keep devolving to counties without matching resources. The issues on county leaders’ desks — behavioral health crises, housing shortages, infrastructure demands, eroding public trust — aren’t new. What’s different is the scale and the pace, all at once.

Federalism was built for this

Our Founders understood something we sometimes forget: The distribution of power across federal, state and local levels was intentional. A safeguard. A feature, not a bug. Counties are that system’s most direct expression — close enough to know what residents actually need, accountable enough since constituents can find their local officials at the grocery store or the ball game.

Our nation’s intergovernmental framework requires honest, open dialogue across levels of government. For generations, that dialogue was assumed, even when contentious. Today it must be smartly pursued. Demonstrated. Earned. NACo exists, in part, to make sure it happens at the federal level.

The promise at 250

America at 250 is a moment to celebrate what this system has produced — and to be honest and forward-thinking about where it is fraying.

The challenges at the county level are real. But so is the resilience. Every day, in our 3,069 counties, including our parishes in Louisiana and our boroughs in Alaska, local officials are grinding away on the unglamorous, essential work of making democracy function — governing across partisan divides, solving problems with limited resources, maintaining public trust even as trust in institutions erodes everywhere else.

That is not a small thing. That is the thing. And it is something we should never take for granted. It is like a muscle that must be exercised, nourished and cared for.

Counties are not an afterthought in American federalism. We are its daily expression. Our obligation — together — is to make sure that reality is understood, respected and acted upon.

Stronger counties mean a stronger America. At 250, that truth is worth fighting for.

We Are Counties

Every day, across 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs, county officials are making the decisions, delivering the services and building the community infrastructure that makes American life possible. We Are Counties is NACo’s initiative to tell that story — to intergovernmental partners, community leaders and the American public. Join us in amplifying the county voice as we celebrate, reflect and improve upon America at 250.