This volume on local government in Sri Lanka has two thematic orientations: local government in its institutional as well as social dimensions, and the relationship between local government, democratic governance, and local democracy. The chapters of this volume provide detailed discussions on the nature, evolution and institutional make up of the field of local government in Sri Lanka. They also critically evaluate the contribution made by the local government system to Sri Lanka's democracy and decentralized governance, while capturing the limits and democracy deficits of the existing local government institutions and practices. The book also proposes ideas and policy options for reform in order to make Sri Lanka's local government an important structural tier of democratic governance.