Municipal reform is a historically driven movement to bring political institutions and practices into accord with liberal‐democratic standards and philosophies. This entry historically analyzes the history of municipal reform through four separate, but sometimes overlapping, eras: thestrong mayorera of the late 1800s, theprogressiveera of the early to mid‐twentieth century, themetropolitanera of the 1920s to the 1980s, and the current, more loosely definedmodernera. In each era, institutional “cures” are presented as a solution for political “ills” of governing. While the specifics of institutional ideas have evolved over time, what has not changed is the core tenet of municipal reform: that to provide democratic, efficient, and professional government and governance, the evils of politics must be exorcised from policy‐making. By changing the institutions that create policy, contestation can be minimized and governing can be more professional, more cost effective, less corrupt, and serve for the good of the city.