In my experience the cleanliness of cities is a very good proxy for the overall health of the society. Societies that can't keep their cities clean often also

In my experience the cleanliness of cities is a very good proxy for the overall health of the society. Societies that can't keep their cities clean often also have a lot of other problems. Government alone can't keep cities clean, it requires a society that believes in the common good, an an efficient government that can get things done.