In addition to the obvious check provided by elections, voters in many cities have made use of referenda to force changes on both state and local government. Referenda, or ballot initiatives, an example of direct democracy, are in use in about half the states. In recent decades, California voters have set the pace. In 1978, they approved Proposition 13, which capped local property tax rates and limited increases in assessed property values except when the property was sold. In states that do not have referenda, voters and other interested parties often work through state legislatures to enact restrictions on local governments they believe have become too powerful.
Media also act as a check on local government in the United States.
Although there are a few national broadcast networks and national newspapers, most media in the U.S. is local. If local government proposes a tax increase, for example, whether considered justified or not, the local newspapers, television and radio stations will, without fail, report on it and make sure citizens are informed. Whereas there has been a trend in recent years for voters to try to restrict the powers of local government, there also has been a countervailing trend at the state and federal level toward more decentralization or devolution in asking local authorities to undertake more initiatives locally and to pick up more of the cost. This has encouraged local governments to generate even more creative schemes for raising revenue. In most cases, states look upon the creation of such regional efforts and initiatives with favor.