The chapter examines how the local government associations (LGAs) carry their interests into the policy-making process of the German Federation. It is shown that the organization and the work of LGAs is strongly influenced by the federal character of Germany. Formally, the local level is part of the Länder and their administrations, and the character, rights and structure of the local municipalities and counties is dependent on the rules of the respective Land. At the same time, the local level has the right of local self-government and assumes important tasks for the overall system. Local interests are formally and informally represented by the LGAs at Länder and federal level. Competition between the LGAs is less due to the urban-rural divide and more due overlapping membership structures (for reasons of history and also German federalism), party-politics and questions of prestige. The cooperative character of the German political system plays a key role in overcoming the different interests. With a few exceptions, the local government associations are organized under private law, and the chapter discusses whether a more formal organization would be more in line with the character of self-governing bodies of the municipalities and counties.