Examines the structure and progress of local government in Massachusetts. The author shows that contrary to a prevailing sentiment that Massachusetts local government is archaic and outmoded, considerable progress has been made in an incremental fashion. This progress is reflected in modernized local government structures and in a new mood supportive of professionalism in the ranks. An interesting volume for courses on state and local government, particularly Massachusetts.

In Indonesia, the provincial, city, and regency governments typically rely on the central government for financial support. A shift toward the collection of their own tax revenues would strengthen local governments’ autonomy and encourage accountability to their communities. During 2015–2020, the Tax Revenue Administration Modernization and Policy Improvement in Local Governments (TRAMPIL) project, supported by the Asian Development Bank, provided technical assistance to help Indonesia’s subnational governments collect more locally sourced tax revenues. This report describes the challenges and achievements of TRAMPIL project activities. It presents TRAMPIL’s policy recommendations in the context of Indonesia’s economic and legal parameters on regional autonomy.