I'm not sure whether I agree with you or not, but something I'd add to your point is that this is also a proxy for typical political ideologies. 'Small governme

I'm not sure whether I agree with you or not, but something I'd add to your point is that this is also a proxy for typical political ideologies. 'Small government' is specifically focused on reduction of the size of the federal government excepting a few national responsibilities including military. The point of this is to strengthen autonomy at a level closer to the people -- states, counties, and so on. I don't really abide either side of the political spectrum, but I do find this point salient. Chicago's successes, and failures, should come as a result of decisions made in Chicago, and to a lesser degree the whole of Illinois. States being held subject to decisions, outside of a very small set of shared minimal norms, from a completely detached governing body that lives very much in a bubble in D.C. is just quite a peculiar system. Having 2% representation in e.g. the Senate does not, in my opinion, markedly change this. Probably made a lot more sense when we had 13 colonies and a hundredth the national population.