This book provides a comparative perspective on the function and nature of local and regional governments in eastern and western Europe. It offers an overview of the structure, development, responsibilities and pressures for reform that affect European local administrations. The book provides individual analysis of 12 European countries, each contributed by a political scientist from the country concerned. Particularly important are the chapters on the USSR, Britain and Spain, which present up-to-date portraits of systems undergoing reform and change. The final part of the book looks toward the future to suggest where trends and processes are likely to lead.