Although the diversity of subnational governments means that the notion of “typical”behavior is often not meaningful, it is still common in presentations of data, news reports, and political debate to compare a state or locality to the “national average.”

How does the state- local sector in your state compare to that average in terms of

(a) the structure of localities,

(b) the level of expenditure,

(c) the pattern of services provided, and

(d) the mix of revenue sources? Do you know of any reasons why your case might differ from the “national average”?