The paper examines the historical sources for modern local government research. It sets out the hypothesis of a universal approach to the organization of local government in various countries. The universal approaches to the organization of local self-government among various nations are in study. Timeframes of the study: local government development from Ancient times to the late Middle Ages. Geographically, the study covers the countries of the Mediterranean, Central and Latin America and New Guinea. The research conclusions are given.

The paper examines the historical sources for modern local government research. It sets out the hypothesis of a universal approach to the organization of local government in various countries. The universal approaches to the organization of local self-government among various nations are in study. Timeframes of the study: local government development from Ancient times to the late Middle Ages. Geographically, the study covers the countries of the Mediterranean, Central and Latin America and New Guinea. The research conclusions are given.