Much as is the case for the other Nordic countries, local government in Norway is a major provider of collective goods and services. In large part citizens have indicated a relatively high degree of satisfaction with how these goods and services have been provided and the arrangements upon which they are based. Empirical evidence, however, suggests that citizen expectations in recent years constitute a new challenge – a challenge not only to local government, but every bit as importantly a challenge to local democracy. The proposed paper will present evidence and highlight some of the implications that follow from these developments.
