Gerry Stoker is Professor of Governance at the University of Southampton, UK.

• List of Tables Notes on the Contributors Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction: Trends in Western European Local Government; G.Stoker Western European Local Government in Comparative Perspective; A.Norton Trends in Local Autonomy and Democracy: Reflections from a European Perspective; P.Blair The Restructuring of Local Government in England and Wales; P.John Customer-Orientated Service Delivery in German Local Administration; D.Grunow Public Goods and Private Operators in France; D.Lorrain Italian Local Services: The Difficult Road Towards Privatisation; B.Dente Experiences and Experiments in Dutch Local Government; H.A.G.M.Bekke The System of Local Government in Portugal; A.Pereira Improving Access to Administration in Spain; J.F.Mateo Local Government in Ireland; T.J.Barrington The Changing Local Government and Politics of Sweden; A.Gustafsson Key Issues in the Local Government Debate in Denmark; O.Nissen The 'Free Local Government' Experiment in Norway; P.Lodden Comparisons and Lessons; R.Batley.

Gerry Stoker is Professor of Governance at the University of Southampton, UK.

• List of Tables Notes on the Contributors Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction: Trends in Western European Local Government; G.Stoker Western European Local Government in Comparative Perspective; A.Norton Trends in Local Autonomy and Democracy: Reflections from a European Perspective; P.Blair The Restructuring of Local Government in England and Wales; P.John Customer-Orientated Service Delivery in German Local Administration; D.Grunow Public Goods and Private Operators in France; D.Lorrain Italian Local Services: The Difficult Road Towards Privatisation; B.Dente Experiences and Experiments in Dutch Local Government; H.A.G.M.Bekke The System of Local Government in Portugal; A.Pereira Improving Access to Administration in Spain; J.F.Mateo Local Government in Ireland; T.J.Barrington The Changing Local Government and Politics of Sweden; A.Gustafsson Key Issues in the Local Government Debate in Denmark; O.Nissen The 'Free Local Government' Experiment in Norway; P.Lodden Comparisons and Lessons; R.Batley.

Gerry Stoker is Professor of Governance at the University of Southampton, UK.

• List of Tables Notes on the Contributors Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction: Trends in Western European Local Government; G.Stoker Western European Local Government in Comparative Perspective; A.Norton Trends in Local Autonomy and Democracy: Reflections from a European Perspective; P.Blair The Restructuring of Local Government in England and Wales; P.John Customer-Orientated Service Delivery in German Local Administration; D.Grunow Public Goods and Private Operators in France; D.Lorrain Italian Local Services: The Difficult Road Towards Privatisation; B.Dente Experiences and Experiments in Dutch Local Government; H.A.G.M.Bekke The System of Local Government in Portugal; A.Pereira Improving Access to Administration in Spain; J.F.Mateo Local Government in Ireland; T.J.Barrington The Changing Local Government and Politics of Sweden; A.Gustafsson Key Issues in the Local Government Debate in Denmark; O.Nissen The 'Free Local Government' Experiment in Norway; P.Lodden Comparisons and Lessons; R.Batley.