City Government

The most important (or at least the most fundamental) “faction” at work in most cities is the local government. Regardless of its source or structure, the government forms the context in which all other systems—from guilds to churches to private organizations—must function. In some cases, the government moderates the growth and influence of such groups, ensuring that no one private entity ever outshines the rest. In other instances (particularly regimes where corruption runs high) the government is a merely a means to an end for these special interests—or worse, an insignifi cant factor in their daily operations, lacking either the power or motivation to curb their influence.