This is a study of whether setting up democratic local councils in four developing countries (Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Bangladesh and India) actually makes any difference to the popularity, responsiveness and effectiveness of local government and administration. The authors make an important contribution to current debates about "good governance" and whether decentralization can provide better services for the mass of the population—the poor and the disadvantaged in rural areas. The book is comparative, and based on detailed local fieldwork and popular surveys.