Local government structure: Maybe it doesn't really matter?

•This research asks: what structural arrangements or forms of local government are actually present in contemporary cities?•It concludes that the theoretical conceptions of local government structure appear not to be present on the ground.•Scholars should empirically explore actual structural systems within their city datasets prior to trying to use form or structural platform to predict policy variables.•It also suggests that local government structure may simply not be an effective way to explain local government policy.