The edited book aims at comparatively analysing the development and current situation of state and local government reforms in France and Germany. The articles address State and administrative traditions, intergovernmental relations, decentralisation, administrative modernisation, public finances, public sector personnel, local democracy, local (mayoral) leadership and decentral/local social policy.
This book is the first outcome of the International Metropolitan Observatory (IMO) research program, a priority initiative of the Research Committee on Comparative Studies in Local Government and Politics (RC5) of the International Political Science Association (IPSA). We extend our gratitude to the contributors from various countries for their dedication and patience since this collaborative effort began in September 2002 in Stuttgart. The program's success is attributed to several meetings held from 2002 to 2005, supported by various institutions. We particularly thank the Center for International Studies, the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California, as well as the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Social Sciences, the French Ministries of Research and Education, the CNRS, GRALE in Paris, and Sciences Po Bordeaux. Additionally, mechanisms for cooperation have significantly enhanced the IMO network, exemplified by the CODE (Comparing Democracies in Europe) Associate European Laboratory, which fosters international scientific integration between the CERVL-CNRS at Sciences Po Bordeaux and the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Stuttgart.