Comparing Local Government Systems across Countries: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges to Building a Field of Comparative Local Government Studies

Abstract

Despite increasing research on comparative local government, the resulting literature remains disappointing in that it is difficult to generalize across the range of diffuse studies. The main problem is the lack of a common framework to conduct such research and into which results can be placed and built upon. Partly, this is a consequence of insufficient attention to the requirements of building a classification system that can serve as a framework. In the spirit of contributing to the conceptual and methodological development of the literature on comparative local government, I set forth criteria for a classification system, review and assess the literature with respect to these criteria, and suggest a possible approach for building an empirically based classification system for local government that can serve as a common framework.