01439pab a2200145 454500008004000000100002400040245008100064260000900145300001300154362000800167520101500175650004001190650002101230773004201251180718b2000   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aSaltmarshe, Douglas  aLocal government in practice: evidence from two villages in Northern Albania  c2000  ap.327-37  aOct  aThis article examines how local government operated in two villages in Northern Albania and describes how these two communities organized themselves to negotiate with the state.  Post-communist local government is examined by means of its functions as a provider and an organizer.  The reluctance of central government to devolve power was reflected in the resources allocated to local government institutions and thus on their performance.  While Albanian cultural traditions were a source of support and cohesion in the villages, they were no substitute for the development of the capacity to collectively negotiate with the state.  There was a link between the way in which institutions were socially embedded and the capacity of the villages to form and support representative bodies.  The article concludes that local government has been undervalued and argues for greater attention to be focused on the nexus composed of citizens and the institutions of government which are closest to them. - Reproduced  aLocal government - Northern Albania  aLocal government  aPublic Administration and Development