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Local Politics Specialist Group

Aims and objectives

The aim of the group is to foster interdisciplinary and critical research into local politics and participation. The group will foster work that examines the multiple linkages between politics at different levels of locality (i.e. community, municipal, constituency, and regional (or state)) and how these feed into national and international debates about politics and political action within communities.

The objectives of the Local Politics specialist group are to:

• Promote and disseminate research, teaching and knowledge about local politics and participation
• Facilitate exchanges between researchers interested in different conceptions of ‘locality’
• Build international research networks with colleagues in North America, Europe and elsewhere
• Hold events such as bi-annual conferences and themed workshops (held in alternating years) while also facilitating panels at PSA and other specialist group and international conferences
• Explore and explain factors that are specific to the conduct of local politics
• Provide a setting in which the linkages between local and national politics can be explored.

Planned events and outputs

The group intends running a number of events and demonstrating a number of potential outputs. These include:

• Panels on aspects of Local Politics at PSA Conferences
• Running an ESRC Seminar Series
• Holding bi-annual conferences and themed workshops
• Building and participating in International Networks
• Facilitate co-operation between colleagues interested in working together on
  • research funding bids
  • publication activities
• Bi-Annual PhD Workshop
• Circulating a regular newsletter
• Hosting a website which will act as a resource for members

Past events - First Annual International Conference - Novmeber 2007

The group will be running three panels at the 2007 Political Studies Association Annual Conference. These are:

Panel 1: Structuring Local Politics & Government

Jim Chandler (Sheffield Hallam) 'A Rationale for Local Government: Efficiency or Values?'

Peter John (Manchester) 'Does Institutional Change Make A Difference? Evaluating the Impact of New Council Constitutions for Democratic and Policy Outcomes in English Local Government'.

Philip Whiteman (Birmingham) 'Playing Unitary Games'.

Panel 2: Local Electoral Politics in Britain and the USA

Lynn Bennie (Aberdeen) 'The Transition to STV for Scottish Local Government Elections'

Raphael Sonenshien and Mark Drayse (CalState, Fullerton) 'Black Response to Latino Empowerment: The Dynamics of Ethnic Coalitions in the Los Angeles Mayoral Elections of 2001 and 2005'

Alistair Clark and Colin Copus (Birmingham) 'Examining Ethnic Voting in Local Elections in Britain: The Case of Birmingham'.

Panel 3:'Local Politics as a ‘Proving Ground’ in Britain and Europe: Adapting to New Challenges in Local Government'

Lisa Harrison (UWE) 'The Liberal Democrats at the Local Level'

Herwig Reynaert and Kristof Steyvers (Ghent) 'Between Institutional Reform and Political Change: Local Government in Belgium in a comparative perspective'

Robert Dalziel (Birmingham) 'Pressure Politics in British Local Government: Residents Associations and the Politics of Collaboration'.

ESRC Seminar Series – The Future of Political Parties in Local Government

Members of the group are currently involved in running an ESRC supported Seminar Series on ‘The Future of Political Parties in Local Government’. The series involves a number of partner bodies: INLOGOV, University of Birmingham; Local Government Research Unit, De Montfort University, the Electoral Reform Society; Demos; and the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU). The first seminar: Mapping Local Government Futures for Political Parties, was held on 18th January 2007. Papers included:

S. Leach and D. Wilson (De Montfort) ‘Political Leadership and Party Politics in Local Government: Implications of the 2006 White Paper’.

S. Wilks-Heeg (Liverpool) ‘A Slow and Painful Death? Political Parties and Democracy in Two Northern Towns’.

C. Copus (Birmingham) ‘Local Politics: The Realm of the Party?’.

Themes for future seminars are:

• New Local Voting Methods: Impact and Lessons for Political Parties
• Local Representative Democracy: The Party and the People
• The Local Politician: Roles, Responsibilities and Patterns of Political Recruitment
• Local Party Politics: An Agenda for Change?

Group Membership

If you are interested in joining the group, please feel free to contact Sonia Bussu.

A membership form can be found here [Word]