Reviving local democracy: New Labour, new politics?

✍ Scribed by Nirmala Rao

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 243
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Reviving local democracy offers a vivid and persuasive critical examination of New Labour's programme for the modernisation of local government, providing a balanced view of the democracy and participation debate. Since 1997, the Blair government has sought to mobilise popular participation through local referenda, new political structures, electoral reform, and the creation of powerful new elected mayors. Through these mechanisms it is hoped that the lack of public interest and persistently low election turnouts will be overcome. The book draws on a wide range of new survey data to relate the crisis of local politics and governance to wider changes in the political culture. The author goes on to evaluate the government's proposals to reverse decline, asking whether this programme of reform is likely to succeed. With the aid of a series of recent surveys of both public and councillor opinion, and the successful blending of historical and empirical analysis, she offers an assessment of the realities which the democratic renewal project will have to confront in its implementation. The book is topical and timely, and highly accessible, and will appeal to students, those involved in local government, and anyone concerned to see local government become more representative, responsive, and open to popular participation.

✦ Table of Contents

REVIVING LOCAL DEMOCRACY
Contents
List of tables
Acknowledgements
New times for local democracy
Local democracy and after
The failed promise of reform
Civic-minded Britain?
The reluctant voter
The third way and democratic reform
Enhancing participation
New forms of political leadership
Prospects for a new politics
Bibliography
Appendix A
Appendix B
Index
Untitled