What is Dillon's Rule concerned with?

Dillon's Rule pertains to the authority of local governments and asserts that local governments only possess the powers explicitly granted to them by state governments. This doctrine emerged from a 1868 ruling by Judge John F. Dillon, who stated that municipalities derive their powers from the state, and any authority not explicitly given to them is implicitly denied. As such, local governments operate as subordinate entities, executing their functions within the parameters defined by state legislatures.

This understanding helps clarify the relationship between state and local governance, emphasizing the control states maintain over local jurisdictions. The other choices do not align with the essence of Dillon's Rule, which specifically focuses on the delegation of authority from state to local governments rather than issues of federal sovereignty, individual rights, or governance types such as dictatorship.