'Good local governance' reflects the dual functions of local government. On the one hand, democratic regimes gain input legitimacy by responsiveness and by being inclusive towards the preferences of their citizens. On the other hand, they achieve output legitimacy by effectively delivering public goods and services. Their governance strategies follow three major paths - 'decentralisation,' 'political administrative reforms' and 'participatory reforms'. But national contexts, actors, political culture and path dependency matter a lot. In this book continent-wide developments are compared by using relevant country studies. This comparative approach focuses on 'developing countries' in Asia, Africa and Latin America, comparing and contrasting their experience with that of European countries
Norbert Kersting currently holds the Willy Brandt chair on transformation and regional integration at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Janice Caulfield was, until recently, Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.
R. Andrew Nickson is Reader in Public Management at the International Development Department at the University of Birmingham.
Dele Olowu was Professor of Public Administration and Local Government at Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria) and until recently at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands.
Hellmut Wollmann is Professor Emeritus at the Humboldt University, Berlin.
