The last decade has seen an increase in political and ideological conflict in local government. This book analyzes this context and examines both the operation of elected local authorities and the rise of a non-directly elected local governement.

Local government in context; elected local government; non-elected local government; the intra-organizational politics of local authorities; local interest group politics of local authorities; local interest group politics; non-local influences and local networks; the struggle over local spending; privatising local government; the urban future of local government.