ABSTRACT
Local policy making, while similar, differs in important ways from state and national policy-making processes. The structure of local institutions, local values, and actors affect both access to and the outcomes of local policy making. This entry explores the key elements of local government structure that impact the policy-making process, key areas of local policy concern, the instruments used in local policy making, and important local conditions that shape policy outcomes, and it provides several specific examples that demonstrate the effect of the concepts discussed.
