This themed issue focuses on rural-governance systems, civil-society participation, coordinated public services, and grassroots innovation. Submissions are welcome from sociology, political science, law, public management, development studies, and related fields, especially work that combines institutional analysis with grounded local experience.
- Key areas include rural-governance mechanisms, public-interest participation, local deliberation, and public-service innovation
- Empirical studies, policy evaluations, fieldwork, and comparative research are encouraged
- Where field or survey data are involved, please include data-source and ethics statements in the manuscript