This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the main theories which structure debate about urban politics. The editors have assembled an internationally respected group of scholars who offer a clear account of the key issues, organised around four major questions. Part I looks at aspects of power, taking in both traditional and more recent theories. Part II considers the nature of public bureaucracy and the importance of those officials with a leadership role in city government. Part III examines the way that citizens are involved in the process of urban politics. Part IV puts urban politics in context in terms of the social and economic environment and the complex architecture of government in which it has to operate. Within this framework, Theories of Urban Politics offers an excellent survey of the current state of theoretical argument in urban political science, and will be essential reading for students and academics in urban studies and local government.

Author Biography

David Judge is Reader in Government at th University of Strathclyde. His previous publications include Backbench Specialisaton in the House of Commons (1991) and Parliament and Industry (1990).