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Over the last several decades, countries across the Global South have undertaken a degree of decentralization—a downward shift in political and fiscal powers to local governments. Concurrently, international development efforts increasingly emphasize the importance of community participation in local development interventions. How effective have these institutional and policy changes been in improving outcomes in local governance and development? This course examines major trends and challenges in the field of local development. It covers a range of themes, including decentralization, community driven development, state capacity, social accountability, distributive politics, and social inclusion. Geographically, the content of the course spans a diversity of countries across the Global South.