Rao, Nirmala. 1999. Representing the people? Testing assumptions about local government reform. Public Administration, 7(2), pp. 257-271. ISSN 0033-3298 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

The publication of a new report from the Audit Commission, coupled with the Labour government's declared intention to modernize local authority decision making, marks the return to the policy agenda of long-familiar questions. This paper tests some of the assumptions underlying the reform programme against recent research evidence. Moves to improve effectiveness through establishing a 'cabinet' system, or delegation to officers of 'lead' councillors are considered in the light of councillors' own preferences and practices. The ways in which councillors spend their time and their perceptions of the appropriateness of its distribution between activities is explored. The paper then examines the extent to which authorities have chosen to experiment with and adapt their own structures, and considers whether central imposition of radical change is either necessary or advisable.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Local government; councillors
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Politics
Dates:	Date Event 1999 Published
Item ID:	130
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2007
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2013 14:53
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/130

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