Anders Lidström is a professor in political science at Umeå University, Sweden. From 2015, he is the Chairperson of the Swedish Political Science Association. His research has a focus on local politics and government, urban and regional politics and comparative politics. This includes studies of local and regional democracy and self-government, both within Sweden and in a comparative perspective. Current research includes comparative studies of local government systems, and studies of democracy, political participation and governance in city-regions. Current publications include “The equal metropolis?: Can Social Policies Counteract Diversity in Swedish Metropolitan Settings?” In Sellers et al (eds.) Inequality and Governance in the Metropolis: Place Equality Regimes and Fiscal choices in Eleven Countries. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017, and The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.