This is the first edition of Government at a Glance, a new addition to the OECD’s At a Glance series. Government at a Glance fills an important gap in internationally comparative data and general knowledge on how governments work, providing indicators describing government institutions, structures, inputs and prevailing public management practices in OECD member countries. It also examines public governance issues that are important to governments’ capacity to address the long-term effects of the recent crises, and raises some questions facing governments as they look to further transform their public governance practices. This publication is particularly timely as the recent financial and economic crises have heightened the role of government in the economy and society, while requiring governments to be more efficient, effective and citizen-centred.