The traditional theory of fiscal federalism prescribes a very limited tax base for subnational governments. The only good local taxes are said to be those that are easy to administer locally, are imposed solely (or mainly) on local residents, and do not raise problems of harmonization or competition between subnational – local or regional governments or between subnational and national governme...

Satellite dishes like this owned by Wood Television Corp. in Bowling Green, Ohio, receive broadcast signals and retransmit them through the cable to subscribers. Rural local governments tend to regulate cable television (CTV) far less effectively than suburban local governments. That is the major conclusion from a survey of 119 small municipal governments in Maryland. Rural governments need to ...