"Public Perception of Local Governments" concentrates on changes in public attitudes towards local governments, and on differences in approaches towards various components of the respective municipal systems. As local governments become increasingly important in citizens' everyday lives, political institutions and public actors who can demonstrate greater sensitivity towards public opinion are vital for the success of future reforms. The hidden message of this work is that without regular and systematic analysis of public opinion, viable local government policies will become even more difficult to design and implement in the future. The book comprises research on this issue in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. "Public Perception of Local Governments" seeks to answer three basic questions: (1) What is the public's opinion on the newly created local governments? (2) How did general public opinion influenced the various decentralization reforms of the past decade? (3) What are the typical forms of communication with the general public at the local level?

Today, social media have attracted the attention of political actors and administrative institutions to inform citizens as a prerequisite of open and transparent administration, deliver public services, contact stakeholders, revitalize democracy, encourage the cross-agency cooperation, and contribute to knowledge management. In this context, the social media tools can contribute to the emergence of citizen-oriented, open, transparent and participatory public administration. Taking advantage of the opportunities offered by social media is not limited to central government. Local governments deploy internet-based innovative technologies that complement traditional methods in implementing different functions. This book focuses on the relationship between the local governments and social media, deals with the change that social media have caused in the organization, understanding of service provision, performance of local governments and in the relationships between local governments and their partners, and aims to advance our theoretical and empirical understanding of the growing use of social media by local governments. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in e-government, public administration, political science, communication, information science, and social media. Government officials and public managers will also find practical use recommendations for social media in several aspects of local governance.

1. The purpose The purpose of this study is to gain an insight into and make an introductory comparison of the structure of local government in many countries throughout the world. More specifically the aim is to define and describe in a comparative fashion the various organs of local government and their relationships. The need for, as well as the obstacles encountered in, such a survey are perhaps equally obvious. It is said that he who under stands only his own language knows none. It may just as easily be contended that he who understands only his own govern mental institutions knows none. Governmental comparisons are useful not only to find out how others are governed but also to more fully comprehend the role which one's own governmental institutions play. 1 From a pragmatic point of view there is a still further value in making comparisons of local governments. Local government institutions are constantly undergoing changes. The changes are both formal and informal; they may be evolutionary and revolu tionary. A comparative study of local government can help many countries to take advantage of the experiments and experiences of others. From the beginning of recorded history there are indications of man borrowing heavily from the institutions of his neighbour in organizing his own institutions. In local govern ment there are several examples of countries which have set up their local government systems by wholesale copying the model of another.

This book provides a new institutional economics perspective on alternative models of local governance, offering a comprehensive view of local government organization and finance in the developing world. The experiences of ten developing/transition economies are reviewed to draw lessons of general interest in strengthening responsive, responsible, and accountable local governance. The book is written in simple user friendly language to facilitate a wider readership by policy makers and practitioners in addition to students and scholars of public finance, economics and politics.

Looking at the future of local government, this book examines the different changes, such as community charge and other financial changes, housing reforms, education reforms services, local democracy and other problems within the local government.