The book will give a comprehensive introduction into Germany’s local government system in covering its (federal and European) intergovernmental setting, its territorial, political, administrative, functional and financial structures as well as the respective recent reforms thereof.  The potential and limits of local government to cope with the current financial and socio-economic crisis will loom large in the analysis. In order to bring out the specific profile of Germany’s local government its crucial features will be placed in a comparative European perspective. Since an English language monograph on the German local government system is still largely lacking in the pertinent international literature the book is expected to contribute to filling this gap.weiterlesen