Modern Guide to Local and Regional Politics

Utilising international material to explore the roles, functions, tasks, responsibilities, powers and actions of intra-state politicians and the institutions to which they are elected, this insightful book examines how local and regional authorities are pivotal in the democratic and governing arrangements of different countries.Expert contributors examine how regional and local bodies have authority over public services, local spending, land use and local regulation, while operating within the constraints and structures of their own national settings. The Modern Guide also considers the responsibility of local and regional powers in the promotion of community action and cohesion. Taking a comparative approach, country-specific chapters present detailed analyses of the similarities and differences between the shape and purpose of institutions which operate within the state and how they interact with each other and the national institutions of government.Exploring the concepts and principles behind power structures within governmental systems, this book will be a key resource for academics and students of public policy, regulation and governance, and public administration and management. Its presentation of models of the formation of government in an international context will also be beneficial for policy-makers and practitioners in these fields.

‘Is intra-state governance about collaboration or rivalry? A Modern Guide to Local and Regional Politics edited by Colin Copus, Richard Kerley and Alistair Jones gives the reader very interesting insights. It’s an impressive collection of chapters written by an international team of scholars. This Modern Guide will be essential reading for all those interested in the topic.’, ‘This impressive addition to the literature takes a very modern and fresh approach to the topic. The editors have assembled a key group of international scholars in the discipline to produce comprehensive, state of the art coverage across a wide and representative range of jurisdictions. All twenty-one chapters are thoughtful and reflective, packed with theory and empirical data, as well as acknowledging COVID 19. Supported by excellent figures and tables, this will become a classic reference book of the genre.’

Edited by Colin Copus, Emeritus Professor of Local Politics, De Montfort University, UK and Visiting Professor, University of Ghent, Belgium, Richard Kerley, Emeritus Professor of Management, Queen Margaret University, UK and Alistair Jones, Associate Professor and University Teacher Fellow, De Montfort University, UK