Local governance in England and France

Book abstract:

This book is a comparative study of institutional and policy reforms in England and France since the early 1980's demonstrating how comparable, but not identical, trends have restructured the different systems of local government in each country. The book is based on a research project which focussed on over 300 interviews with decision-makers in two sets of English and French cities: Leeds and Lille; Southampton and Rennes. The book poses key questions about the changing role of state, the difficulties of policy co-ordination in a fragmented institutional context, and about the relationship between governance, networks, and political and democratic accountability.

The book begins by setting out the theoretical debates concerning the new local governance followed by a comparison of the changing patterns of governance across the three dimensions of country, political sector and city. Two chapters on policy sectors then focus on economic development and education proving that economic development highlights many features of the new governance but the education systems of both countries resisted external attempts at change. Finally, investigations of changes in local governance in practise are provided by case studies of local policy management in Leeds, Southampton, Lille and Rennes.

The book is aimed at students and professionals. Alistair Cole is Professorial Research Fellow at Cardiff University. Peter John is Anniversary Reader in Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London.