Henry Back is professor of Public Administration at the School of Public Administration, Goteborg University. Dr. Hubert Heinelt is professor for public administration/ public policy and urban studies at the Institute for Political Science of Darmstadt University of Technology. Annick Magnier is professor of Urban Sociology at the University of Florence, Facolta di Scienze Politiche "Cesare Alfieri".

• Typologies of Local Government Systems.- ‘From the Few are Chosen the Few...’ On the Social Background of European Mayors.- The Mayor’s Political Career.- Gendered Roads to Mayorship in Different Welfare States.- Does Recruitment Matter? Selecting Path and Role Definition.- Mayors, Citizens and Local Democracy.- Aspects of Leadership Styles: An Interaction of Context and Personalities.- Urban Systems as Growth Machines? Mayors’ Governing Networks against Global Indeterminacy.- Mayors in Vertical Power Relations.- Divided Loyalties? Mayors between Party Representation and Local Community Interests.- Duo or Duel? The Relations between Mayors and Councils in Democratic Local Government.- Mayors and Local Administrators: A Puzzling Relationship.- Political Complexity or Managerial Simplicity? Mayoral Norms of Organisational Leadership.- European Mayors and Administrative Reforms.- Strong Mayors? On Direct Election and Political Entrepreneurship.