Party Politics and Local Government
Colin Copus(Author)
Manchester University Press
Published on 13. May 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
328 pages
978-0-7190-6635-1 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between local government and political parties. It examines the differences between the political party outside the council and the political party group of councillors within the council. The book explores the impact of parties on council business, decision-making, policy development and local representation, and addresses two fundamental questions about local representative democracy - who s it that the councillor represents, and are councillors elected to govern or serve?
The book analyses democratic theory and its relevance to local politics, considering the role of political parties in local government. It looks at the dynamics of council chamber politics and approaches taken by the main parties towards local party politics, going on to examine the councillor's role in the local representative system. The conclusion suggests that for councils to become politically meaningful, they must radically change the way they conduct local politics and decision making. -- .
The book analyses democratic theory and its relevance to local politics, considering the role of political parties in local government. It looks at the dynamics of council chamber politics and approaches taken by the main parties towards local party politics, going on to examine the councillor's role in the local representative system. The conclusion suggests that for councils to become politically meaningful, they must radically change the way they conduct local politics and decision making. -- .
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7190-6635-1 (9780719066351)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Colin Copus is Lecturer in Local Politics at the Institute of Local Government Studies, at the University of Birmingham -- .
Content
1. Introduction: Party politics: An unwelcome partisan presence or a democratic necessity?
2. Representation: The party or the people?
3. Local parties and local politics: A democratic necessity or a sectional interest
4. The political party group The Leviathan of local politics
5. Local party groups and the national party
6. Party political exchanges
7. The councillor, the citizen and the community: crises of representation
8. Political Executives in local government: A challenge to the primacy of the party group
9. Directly elected Mayors: A new political dynamic or a tired hack?
10. Political parties: Dominating local politics -- .
2. Representation: The party or the people?
3. Local parties and local politics: A democratic necessity or a sectional interest
4. The political party group The Leviathan of local politics
5. Local party groups and the national party
6. Party political exchanges
7. The councillor, the citizen and the community: crises of representation
8. Political Executives in local government: A challenge to the primacy of the party group
9. Directly elected Mayors: A new political dynamic or a tired hack?
10. Political parties: Dominating local politics -- .