Preface 1. A Research Design for Evaluating Consolidation PerformanceSuzanne M. Leland and Kurt Thurmaier 2. An Assessment of the City-County Consolidation of Nashville and Davidson County, TennesseeAnthony J. Nownes, David J. Houston, and Marc Schwerdt 3. Does Consolidation Make A Difference? A Comparative Analysis of Richmond and Virginia Beach, VirginiaNicholas J. Swartz 4. What Difference Does City-County Consolidation Make? A Historical Analysis of Jacksonville and Tampa, FloridaMilan J. Dluhy 5. City-County Consolidation: A Case Study of Carson City, NevadaAnna Lukemeyer 6. "The Urge to Merge": The Consolidation of Lexington and Fayette County, KentuckyShawn Gillen 7. From Company Town to Consolidated Government: The Western-Style Consolidation of Butte and Silver Bow County, MontanaSusan Keim and Justin Marlowe 8. The Case of Lynchburg and Moore County, Tennessee, ConsolidationDeborah A. Carroll, Kristin A. Wagers, and Mary Ellen Wiggins 9. Unification Promises and Outcomes: The Case of Athens and Clarke County, GeorgiaDan Durning and Paula Sanford 10. Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Service Delivery in Local Government: The Case of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KansasSuzanne M. Leland and Curtis Wood 11. Promises Made, Promises KeptKurt Thurmaier and Suzanne M. Leland Contributors Index