Introduction

While local government is found in all federal countries, its place and role in the governance of these countries vary considerably. In some, local government is considered an essential part of the federal nature of the state and recognised in the constitution as such; in others, it is simply a creature of the subnational states or provinces and firmly under their thumb. When referring to local government, it is more correct to refer to local governments (plural), as these institutions come in all shapes and sizes and perform widely divergent functions.