In the immediate postcommunist environment of East-Central Europe, local governments have had to find new ways to reform institutions in an effort to manage emerging market economies and better serve their citizens. This innovative volume is based on extensive analysis and surveys of local leaders and citizens in hundreds of cities and towns throughout the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The authors compare experiences in these countries and portray the unique relationships between citizens and local elites, showing the constraints and achievements in cultivating working forms of local democracy.