ABSTRACT
A prerequisite for the success of the public sector strategies has always been some level of local governing capacity. Consideration of the governing capacity of local governments forces attention to very basic issues. Long recognized has been the place of the local community as the site of social and economic elite competition, racial and ethnic conflict, public sector service delivery, and citizen participation and leadership training. A condition of governing capacity insufficiency can produce a period of political conflict and instability within a local government. Proponents of strategic management stress the importance of an overall orientation, a holistic approach to problems and environments, and a heightened sophistication with regard to management practices. Reference to local governing capacity implies sufficient autonomy that local public sector decisions and actions have local consequences. The public administration profession faces multiple challenges in positioning local governments to deal effectively with anticipated demands of the twenty-first century.
