ABSTRACT
In a number of countries across Europe there has been a consistent long-term trend led by central governments to reduce the number of councils and, in doing so, make council areas larger. In various US states, different state governments appear to exercise such powers most frequently in the suspension of school boards because of continuing poor educational achievements across the jurisdiction. The distinction between the powers, responsibilities, and functions of different tiers and spheres in government and the way that is reflected in operational practice is acknowledged in documents such as European Charter of Local Self-Government. Whatever the comparative degree of engagement, and allowing for the reality that voting for local governments is widely seen by many citizens as less electorally important than national elections, local government can be seen as a bellwether for national political trends. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
