New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat) offers an interesting illustration of the situation in the US vis-a-vis governance.  The article describes the macro-level (e.g., Washington gridlock) but the tone and tenor of that realm influences regional governance.

Much of this commentary reflects a dialogue with Francis Fukuyama (The End of History and the Last Man). "'When Americans think about the problem of government, it is always about constraining the government and limiting its scope' (says Fukuyama). That dates back to our founding political culture. The rule of law, regular democratic rotations in power and human rights protections were all put in place to create obstacles to overbearing, overly centralized government. 'But we forget,' Fukuyama (adds), “that government was also created to act and make decisions.'"

Read the entire commentary here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/friedman-down-with-ever...