The aim of the project is to analyse ideas, implementation, impacts and learning concerning the relation between public management policies and democracy polices in a selected number of countries within the EU (Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden). The contribution to the comparative research on the development in European local governments focus on how public management reforms and democracy initiatives are related to one another, how they are changed over time and what kind of policy learning is taking place. The aim is to develop theoretical understanding and to make empirical comparisons. The study will empirically be based on findings in ongoing and finished relevant research, and on own empirical studies in a selected number of local governments in the four countries. At least four local governments will be selected for case studies. The selected local governments are parts of a national central-local government system and within EU, which means that ideas by which institutional relations between politicians, professionals and citizens are formed shall be related to national and supra-national policies concerning Public Management and local democracy. The project will be reported in a book in Swedish and two articles for international publication.