L. Pratchett and D. Wilson (eds.), Local Democracy And Local Government
| Author | Mike Goldsmith |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9299.00122 |
| Date | 01 September 1998 |
| Published date | 01 September 1998 |
REVIEWS 593
writing has relevance here; the role of local government in reconciling different interests’
although Frazer’s work on locality touches on it and perhaps the importance of collective
choice in a society in which choice is given increased emphasis. Nor is the relationship between
local government and local democracy and the extent of interdependence between them clari-
fied.
These are not necessarily fundamental criticisms. They may merely indicate that reviewers
current interests differ from those of the editors. The real problem with the book is that at
the end there is no attempt to bring it together. One is left feeling that there are some interest-
ing ideas but what has been the overall contribution to Rethinking Local Democracy? There is
no conclusion equivalent to the introduction. All there is as a conclusion is a fairly slight piece
by Desmond King posing the issue of a clash between local democracy and equity to which
he proposes no solution merely asking for others to do so. It might have made do as one of
the contributions, but as a conclusion it does not meet the requirements of the introduction.
John Stewart
University of Birmingham
LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
L. Pratchett and D. Wilson (eds.)
Macmillan, 1996. 256 pp. £11.99
Essentially this book brings together the work of the Commission for Local Democracy, in
that it contains ten of the original contributions produced by the Commission, plus an Intro-
duction and Conclusion by the editors. It is a useful collection to have, one which is readily
accessible to students, and one containing material which it might well be difficult to find
elsewhere. Most of the material covers the subject matter from a UK perspective, though there
are useful allusions to experience elsewhere when relevant. A reformist thread runs through
most contributions, though not always equating local democracy with local government, or
seeing the two as a ‘good thing.’
Having said that, much of the material is familiar as are the arguments. Thus Anne Phillips
answers the question ‘Why does Local Democracy Matter?’, whilst Gerry Stoker examines
ways in which we might ‘Redefine Local Democracy’, drawing heavily on his own edited
book published in the same series by the same publishers in the same year. John Stewart
continues his campaign against the New Magistracy in terms familiar to those who have fol-
lowed his arguments elsewhere. Rallings et al. remind us how few people participate in local
elections and local affairs, but do so in a useful fashion – revealing trends over time, but also
reminding us that all localities are unique, and that we still have no explanation as to why
electors in Wigan should be markedly more reluctant to exercise their vote than their counter-
parts in Stockport . . . but otherwise greater party competition, length or residence, age, type
of tenure are all likely to persuade voters to vote. Important to note in this context, however,
is that turnout in local elections has been rising, though the increasing number of one party
local states might lead to a decrease in turnout over time. The authors could have examined the
impact of size of unit on turnout in more depth, but given the size of British local authorities, a
comparative analysis might be more helpful. Martin Loughlin’s essay on the constitutional
position of local government also covers familiar ground, though his discussion of different
forms of accountability is helpful. All good solid stuff, but hardly likely to do more than set
undergraduates along the right lines.
However, some of the other contributions are more intriguing. It is particularly good to
have the Jones/Travers piece on central government perceptions of local government included
here. It not only captures the arrogance of ministers and civil servants as far as local govern-
Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1998
To continue reading
Request your trial