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The municipal charter is a neglected area of study. Few understand its purposes, and many approach it in a highly legalistic fashion. The lack of understanding is a result of several factors, many of which have to do with how public administration and politics are studied in this country. The field of public administration in the United States focuses largely on public management in the context of the national bureaucracy. Urban political dynamics tend to be analyzed as a contest among partisan actors who can overwhelm existing structures and formal processes as they pursue personal reward with scant regard for a broader public interest. Furthermore, a growing number of urban observers focus on community projects and public participation and underestimate the importance of structures and processes, finding in the broad participation of citizens the true meaning of urban politics. Finally, attorneys are trained clinically and thus approach municipal law from a black-letter perspective. They generally do not think in terms of the spirit of municipal laws as an expression of the nature of a given community.A better understanding of municipal charters can perhaps be reached by reconsidering the nature of municipalities more deeply. A municipality is an empowered government directly controlled by its citizens. Citizens not only create municipalities but can also terminate them. No other government is so completely susceptible to the collective wishes of its citizens. Most Americans live in a municipality, and since it is governed according to its charter, charters are of major significance for the quality of public life for most Americans.This article develops a relatively complete perspective on municipalities that highlights the crucial role of charters in the political life of this country. After a brief sketch of the historical origins of the municipality as a form of government, a concept of the municipality as an empowered polity that maximizes the ability of citizens to participate in public life is developed. From this perspective, the municipal charter can be seen as the blueprint for effective participation and just governance.