Growing up in rural Virginia my perspective on governance is differs perhaps from the general population of the United States. In many parts of the country the most powerful figure in local governance would be someone like a mayor or a city council. This is not the case in the majority of small towns in the commonwealth. In Appomattox county and like the majority of the rural areas in the state, the two most powerful officials are the county sheriff and the director of the board of supervisors. Growing up I was had a unique perspective on local governance than my peers as these two positions were held by my Father and my Uncle. As I read about the strong distrust that people in China have towards there local governments it continues to surprise my because in rural parts of the United States it is exactly the opposite. People in Appomattox trust their elected officials much more than they do their president or congressman. They hunt together, shop at the same stores, their kids go to the same schools. Accountability of the people towards their officials is everywhere. Open dialogue between citizens and government is not only allowed but strongly encouraged. I remember when a simple trip to the grocery store with my uncle would take hours as he would stop and patiently listen to the grievances of any person who would approach him.  In these rural communities the distrust is directed towards people in Washington not the men in county hall.  and many times federal agencies would have a significant degree of difficulty operating within the county. Federal Law enforcement in particular was a victim of this trust as there have been numerous occasions where suspects would refuse to cooperate with even state law enforcement without my father present. However, the ultimate way that local officials are held accountable in the United States are through elections. Every four years my household has gone in campaign mode to an extreme extent. Local politics can be fierce and incumbents are regularly voted out of office. Local citizens are able to closely discuss concerns with candidates and hold their officials accountable through these elections.