The politics of local government - Stoker Gerry (Macmillan London, 1988)
Keywords: Local government -- Public policy -- Local government in context : Origins of modern local government, post war development of local government, launching of welfare state 1945-55, expansion and modernization 1955-75, from constraint to instability 1975 to mid 1980s, impact of local government, public, local authority employees, business interests -- Elected local government : Organization of elected local government, characteristics of councilors, politicization of local government, nature of local parties, conservatives, labor, local electoral accountability, taxation and representation, low turn out, national and local influences, continuous single party control, beyond local electoral accountability, parish and community councils -- Non-elected local government : Growth of non elected local government, organization of non-elected local government, central governments arm's length agencies, local authority implementation agencies, public/ private partnership organizations, user organizations, inter-governmental forums, joint boards, local politics and non-elected local government, control from center, influence of local authorities, business leadership and local politics, user control and participative politics, inter governmental politics- professional bureaucratic domain -- Internal politics of local authorities : Framework for understanding internal politics, joint elite, ruling party group and party caucuses, councilors as ward representatives, inter-departmental conflicts, intra-departmental influences, inter-party deals -- Local interest group politics : World of local groups, local interest groups- pluralist/elitist debate, initial challenge, informal networks, local corporatism, opening out of local authorities, strengthening of local interest group politics, diversity and complexity and local interest group politics, structural influence and interest groups -- Central- local relations and policy networks : Complex system of British government, Westminster and Whitehall- British central government, territorial ministries, intermediate institutions, quasi-governmental organizations, conceptualizing inter governmental relations, central-local relations in Thatcher years, center's strategies of intervention, legislation, minimal consultation, target funding, by-passing local government, reorganization and reform of local authorities, impact on policy networks -- Battle over local spending : Early exchange - dishonorable draw, central government attack, local government defense, rate- capping and beyond- from campaigning to creative accounting, campaign against rate -capping, assessment of campaign, beyond anti-rate capping -- Poll tax and reform of local finance : Reform package, launching the system- reformer's high hopes, Jitters, riots and remedial measures- build up to May 1990 local elections, poll tax and 1990 local elections, after local elections- damage limitation exercise, local authorities and implementation of community charge, leadership contest and its aftermath -- Privatizing local government : Selling off local authority assets, origins and motivations of right to buy, struggle over council house sales, politics of implementation over council house sales, beyond right to buy, market discipline and service delivery, de-regulation of bus services, competitive tendering, market discipline and service delivery- case of education, encouraging private sector provision and investment -- Theories of local government and politics : Localist view, outline, criticism, new right and public choice theory, dual state thesis, local state and social relations, state organization and policy making -- Future of local government : Scope of debate, models for future, hierarchy and local governance, market model and local governance, networks and local governance, politics and restructuring of local government