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The public administration is a scientific discipline which studies topics on public affairs and in parallel with the nature of the state structures encompasses all levels of governance. Liberalization, consolidation of public participation and creation of self-governing bodies characterize the new public management where the institutionalization and expansion of local governments will have crucial roles in the attainment of such Imperatives. This article focuses on the status of local governments at the public administration levels while the various types of state and management structures are also examined.
The article then continues to present various definitions for local governments with details of their components: typology of local govermments, study of pros and cons, and comparison of the charateristics of the traditional and new local governments are other themes discussed here. Finally, in view of the formation of
local governments in Iran (Islamic councils as local legislative bodies and municiplaties as local executive bodies), attempt has
been made to give a picture which can reflect the situation of the Iranian local governments on the ground.