地方政府民主治理的新挑戰，80 年代後已從地方政府傳統結構朝向地方治理之新結構發展。鄉鎮在我國有其特殊之歷史背景，若以廣域行政之觀點言，其究竟在地方政府之層級中居於何種地位？且其自治法人的地位存續力之問題？又以府際互動言，鄉鎮所發揮之功能究竟為何？在全球化與地方化接軌之浪潮下，鄉鎮之發展應如何突破資源有限之困境？在國際大都會區紛紛形成之際鄉鎮應如何定位方可使城鄉均衡發展？均為本文探討之重點。

The new challeges of democracy governance in local government, in the past twenty years has developed by local governance at the sub-national level.The historical background of town is special in R.O.C., In the view of comprehensive administration, What is the status of town in local government？How continuous the corporate status of town？In the view of intergovernmental interaction, what are the functions of town？In the orientation of globalization and localization, how to break the difficult position of limited resources in the development of town？Corporate citizenship and local governance of town is very important, the Equilibrious Development of Urban and Village is most urgent. Above all, are the focuses of this paper.