How many hierarchical levels of government should there be?

[greenforest32]

It seems like five vertical layers* is the most common?

*Example:
1. Local (cities, towns, villages, etc)
2. Regional (counties, metro-wide, etc)
3. Above regional but below national
4. National/federal
5. International

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

In what way?

[Meursault]

One, when every contradiction has been resolved.

[Deus Naturae]

Tough question. I don't care so much about the level of government so much as the size of the area(s) controlled by the various levels of government. For example, I would like to get rid of international government, which would decrease the number of levels of government, but at the same time I would be opposed to abolishing State governments in the US (which I guess would fall under "between regional and national"), something that would also decrease the number of levels of government. Generally speaking I would prefer to work on getting rid of levels of government from the top down until government power is as decentralized as possible.

Of course, that isn't to say that governments with control over smaller areas are inherently better policy-makers or whatever than governments with control over larger areas. I'm for decentralizing power precisely because governments are so inclined to abuse it. With smaller governing units, an abuse committed by one government effects a smaller group of people, plus people have more options about what sort of government they choose to live under.

It's also worth noting that the level a government is classified under isn't really indicative of how much power that government actually has. For example, one country's national government could be much less powerful than another country's regional government.

[Hatman 🍁]

4: International, State, County, Municipal

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

In what way?

he doesn't want to share a government with all those horrible brown people.

[Sol]

3.

Level 1 and 2 are combined, and 3 is abolished.

Preferably with the National government having the most power.

[Cranberry]

(EU, Un...) Make as strong as possible  The concept of international government is great.
1 - Nationality
2 - State
3 - Municipality - big ones, at least 5'000 inhabitants

[Hatman 🍁]

Population ranges for each level

State: 100K - 100M
County: 100 - 10M
Municipality: 10-100K

Below that there would be precincts which wouldn't be a level government, but would just exist for administration purposes. They would have no more than 1000 people.  Municipalities with less than 10K would have volunteer run councils, but would still be elected.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

In what way?

It strips national sovereignty. The very concept of individual nations is what keeps the world together and keeps local interests served in the best manner possible. Why should the people of Mozambique be ruled by a person born and raised in Australia? Why should a German be ruled by a Malaysian? Or a Mexican ruled by an "international" president from Israel?

The world consists of thousands of different cultures that are very different from one another. A single nation like the "Republic of Earth", or a simple EU style federation ran by the UN would result in some group, somewhere, getting nailed. The thinly disguised specter of colonialism would return once again, with the “westernized” and “civilized” nations of the world deciding once again that they know what is best for Muslim women, etc.

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

In what way?

he doesn't want to share a government with all those horrible brown people.

Please f[inks]k off. kthnxbye

[Hatman 🍁]

Oh no how terrible. Come on man, you can do better than that.

World government is badly needed due to the huge discrepancies in standard of living across the globe. We are all human beings, and we need to be looking after all of us.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

World government is badly needed due to the huge discrepancies in standard of living across the globe. We are all human beings, and we need to be looking after all of us.

This can be done by international agencies like UNICEF without an elected world legislature, an elected world President, etc. I would not consider UNICEF a form of international government, and it is not something I oppose.

[Hatman 🍁]

Because Unicef is doing such a wonderful job.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Because Unicef is doing such a wonderful job.

So UNICEF doesn't work, but a world legislature would somehow do the trick?

[ElectionsGuy]

I think 3 sounds good.

1. Local (county, municipality)
2. State
3. Federal

Ideally, national government only deals with a few big issues. More specific issues transfer down to the state and local levels. The very idea of a international government is horrific.

[Hatman 🍁]

Because Unicef is doing such a wonderful job.

So UNICEF doesn't work, but a world legislature would somehow do the trick?

A world government would have much more resources, so would be infinitely more effective.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Because Unicef is doing such a wonderful job.

So UNICEF doesn't work, but a world legislature would somehow do the trick?

A world government would have much more resources, so would be infinitely more effective.

All of those resources would be squandered by local autocrats, warlords, and criminals just like it is now. Please tell me how a “world parliament” would somehow be less polarized and more effective than the current UN General Assembly is. Religion, culture, traditions, etc, all would cause an incredible amount of deadlock.

World government would not work, and that is why all serious proposals for it remain locked in the minds of deluded utopians. We can reform foreign aid and the UN to work in a more serious manner without disestablishing factors that are as innate to Earth as the trees.

[angus]

Three I suppose.  There is a city government, a state government, and a federal government.  The city runs the schools, collects the trash, makes sidewalks and streets.  The state cleans up, encourages cooperation between local authorities, and manages social welfare.  The federal raises armies and navies, funds large-scale scientific research, builds highways, puts men in space, maintains national security, and negotiates trade treaties with foreign states.  All levels should maintain courts, arts, libraries, museums, archives, and universities at a level appropriate to their scope. 

I support the good work of international non-government agencies such as the United Nations, but I agree with most posters that nation-states are the ultimate authority in their respective spheres of influence.  One day we may well be ready for Captain Jean Luc Picard and the United Federation of Planets, but we are nowhere near that level of cooperation at this time. 

[Hatman 🍁]

Because Unicef is doing such a wonderful job.

So UNICEF doesn't work, but a world legislature would somehow do the trick?

A world government would have much more resources, so would be infinitely more effective.

All of those resources would be squandered by local autocrats, warlords, and criminals just like it is now. Please tell me how a “world parliament” would somehow be less polarized and more effective than the current UN General Assembly is. Religion, culture, traditions, etc, all would cause an incredible amount of deadlock.

World government would not work, and that is why all serious proposals for it remain locked in the minds of deluded utopians. We can reform foreign aid and the UN to work in a more serious manner without disestablishing factors that are as innate to Earth as the trees.

With climate change set to wreck havoc in the world, the alternative is much worse.

[TNF]

The state should be replaced with a a system of workers' councils, organized from the bottom-up with multiple levels on industrial lines. Were I designing such a system, I would probably organize it in the following fashion:

The lowest level in the structure would represent individual workplaces. These workplaces would be managed by the equivalent union for the workers in question and would elect a workplace council responsible for maintaining the workplace, feeding information about available resources and possible scarcities to the higher levels within the system, and would manage the day to day affairs of the workplace in question. They would serve short, renewable terms and be fully answerable to their coworkers, and always subject to immediate recall.

The second level in the structure would bring together several workplaces within the same industry, perhaps in the same regional area. This level would be managed by a committee comprised of members of local works councils elected to manage and coordinate the activities of the workplaces in question.

The third level would be comprised of all those committees managing multiple workplaces within one industry. This level would be responsible for planning and coordinating an entire industrial sector, be it auto manufacturing, steel, food production, housekeeping (as all domestic work would be collectivized in addition to child-rearing and other such unwaged work), etc, etc.

These industrial councils, responsible for managing entire industries, would then meet collectively, with one another, bringing together those responsible for managing all industry. This council would debate and ultimately decide upon a plan for the whole of the economy, and would work with the lower levels to iron out any kinks and modify instructions where necessary. Industry-wide, Regional, and Worksite councils would modify the plans to their specific conditions and contribute insofar as possible toward the attainment of the plan in question. Plans would be modified periodically to account for sudden changes or developments, as well as to introduce new technological advances so as to render unnecessary labor obsolete, allowing for a shortening of the workday.

[Antonio the Sixth]

1. International (around 7B people)
2. National (around 30M people)
3. Regional (around 1M people)
4. Municipal (around 20K people, with big variations to accommodate for urban/rural status)

[Nichlemn]

Three or four levels, depending on the area (density and homogeneity are big factors). Municipal, national and international in all cases, regional sometimes.

The municipal level would have a lot of power, being delegated as much power as possible that didn't have strong economies of scale. The national level would have less power and be mainly focused on collective action problems between municipalities (e.g. highways). The international level would have the least power and focus on major international collective action problems like climate change and enforcing open borders.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Four, with the national government being as weak as possible. The concept of international government is vile.

In what way?

It strips national sovereignty. The very concept of individual nations is what keeps the world together and keeps local interests served in the best manner possible. Why should the people of Mozambique be ruled by a person born and raised in Australia? Why should a German be ruled by a Malaysian? Or a Mexican ruled by an "international" president from Israel?

The world consists of thousands of different cultures that are very different from one another.

sounds like a polite way of saying you don't want to share a government with all those horrible brown people.

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that happens even at the municipal level. not a good argument.

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i don't think "the west" has the votes for that. if anything, it'd be the other way around.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought there may be subtle racism in Sanchez's post.