"Good local governance" untersucht die dualen Funktionen der Kommunalverwaltung, die sowohl Input- als auch Output-Legitimität anstrebt. Das Buch vergleicht Entwicklungen in Asien, Afrika und Lateinamerika mit europäischen Ländern und analysiert die Auswirkungen von Dezentralisierung, politischen Reformen und Partizipation im Kontext nationaler Gegebenheiten.
In 1999, editors convened in Mannheim during the European Consortium of Political Research Local Government Workshop to explore a North-South dialogue on local government reform experiences. Further discussions with Harald Baldersheim from the International Political Science Association revealed potential for such a meeting within IPSA activities, leading to a publication in a series on local government studies. With support from the New South Wales Local Government and Shires Association in Sydney, a conference titled “Local Government at the Millennium” was organized. The editors express gratitude to the NSWLGSA for facilitating the gathering of conference speakers, many of whom contributed to this volume. They also acknowledge specific institutions that provided financial support and conducive environments for compiling this collection, including the University of New South Wales, the University of Glamorgan, and the University of Tromsø. Special thanks are extended to the Norwegian Ministry of Municipal and Regional Affairs, represented by Mrs. Christine Hjortland, for their financial backing of editorial meetings, and to Mr. Murray Kidnie, Secretary of the NSWLGSA, for his early commitment to the project.