Description

Against the background of the crisis of local
democracy and of the shift from local government to
local governance, the book focuses on two themes
related to the nature of local democracy within a
local governance context: firstly, the conditions
required for a system of local governance based on
the coexistence of representation and participation;
secondly, the issues that arise in relation to the
management of a system of local democratic governance
characterised by a high degree of organisational and
societal complexity. The book suggests that only the
coexistence of multiple channels of
participation, dimensions of representation, sources
of legitimacy, mechanisms of accountability, and
forms of leadership can generate a robust system of
local democratic governance. In addition, it argues
that local democratic governance should be
characterised by a meta-level of co-ordination and
management, based on deliberative processes and
social learning, and on continuous innovation and
experimentation. The analysis and conclusions
presented are relevant for policy makers,
professionals and academics working in the field of
local governance and democracy.