This book compares the trajectories and effects of local public sector reform in Europe and fills a research gap that has existed so far in comparative public administration and local government studies. Based on the results of COST research entitled, âLocal Public Sector Reforms: an International Comparisonâ, this volume takes a European-scale approach, examining local government in 28 countries. Local government has been the most seriously affected by the continuously expanding global financial crisis and austerity policies in some countries, and is experiencing a period of increased reform activity as a result. This book considers both those local governments which have adopted or moved away from New Public Management (NPM) modernization to âsomething differentâ (what some commentators have labelled âpost-NPMâ), as well as those which have implemented âother-than-NPM measuresâ, such as territorial reforms and democratic innovations.Â