本书共四部分，内容包括：中国地方政府发展能力研究的理论分析、中国地方政府发展能力评估结果综合分析、中国地方政府发展能力评估结果特征分析、中国地方政府发展能力提升的热点问题。

目录部分中国地方政府发展能力研究的理论分析章中国地方政府发展能力的相关研究进展·········································3一、地方政府评估报告的比较分析·····················································4二、各种评估中存在的共性问题·······················································14三、本研究的创新之处···································································
17第二章研究方法的改进与探索·····························································21一、研究框架的调整······································································21二、研究方法的改进······································································23第二部分中国地方政府发展能力评估结果综合分析第三章地方政府发展能力评估数据总体情况···········································33一、数据收集的总体情况································································33二、样本城市评估数据总体分析·······················································40第四章地方政府核心发展能力（一级指标）总体分析
·······························51一、地方政府核心发展能力综合绩效评价···········································51二、地方政府核心发展观绩效评价···········································53三、地方政府核心发展能力重要性评价··············································70第五章地方政府发展能力的聚类分析····················································