Works in Progress Podcast What is local government good for?
24 snips
May 6, 2026 
Judge Glock, a public policy commentator who writes on local government and infrastructure, gives historical and policy analysis. He discusses how local incentives built Loudoun County’s data‑center boom and France’s nuclear rollout. They cover when local provision outperforms national control, special tax districts and their risks, and why local competition shapes public‑goods provision.
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Federal Rules Can Break Local Tradeoffs
- Federal mandates like the Clean Water Act replaced local cost–benefit feedback, raising costs and removing local tradeoffs.
- Judge Glock argues this produced a one-way ratchet without local voters weighing marginal value.
Let People Vote With Their Feet
- Use local government competition to reveal citizen preferences by letting people move to jurisdictions matching tax–public good bundles.
- Judge Glock notes moving between nearby cities exposes voters to different police, taxes, and services, disciplining local policy.
Special Districts Excel At Single Projects
- Special-purpose districts succeed at delivering and financing single projects fast.
- The Golden Gate Bridge district built on time via a toll-funded special tax district with clear incentives.