Springer Local Government in Australia: History, Theory and Public Policy

This book offers a general introduction to and analysis of the history, theory and public policy of Australian local government systems. Conceived in an international comparative context and primarily from within the discipline of political studies, it also incorporates elements of economics and public administration. Existing research tends to conceptualise Australian local government as an element of public policy grounded in an 'administrative science' approach. A feature of this approach is that generally normative considerations form only a latent element of the discussions, which is invariably anchored in debates about institutional design rather than the normative defensibility of local government. The book addresses this point by providing an account of the terrain of theoretical debate alongside salient themes in public policy. Review “It is an excellent, relatively comprehensive, analytical overview of the core issues for local government in Australia. … The authors and the publishers are to be congratulated ... this will be the best book on Australian local government for some very long time.” (Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 77 (1), March, 2018) “This is a timely contribution to the field of local government in Australia. … a book that brings together the voluminous materials on local government in Australia will be of immensurable value to researchers interested in local government in particular and multi-level governance more generally. It will easily become the ‘go to’ reference for students and scholars alike.” (Robyn Hollander, Local Government Studies, October, 2017) From the Back Cover This book offers a general introduction to and analysis of the history, theory and public policy of Australian local government systems. Conceived in an international comparative context and primarily from within the discipline of political studies, it also incorporates elements of economics and public administration. Existing research tends to conceptualise Australian local government as an element of public policy grounded in an 'administrative science' approach. A feature of this approach is that generally normative considerations form only a latent element of the discussions, which is invariably anchored in debates about institutional design rather than the normative defensibility of local government. The book addresses this point by providing an account of the terrain of theoretical debate alongside salient themes in public policy. About the Author Bligh Grant is senior lecturer in Political Studies at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney (UTS: IPPG). He has published in a range of disciplines, in particular political studies and local government studies; also strategic management theory, regional economic development and business education. Joseph Drew is post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney (UTS: IPPG). He has published on local government in the disciplines of economics, accounting, taxation and performance monitoring.