Alistair Cole is Professorial Research Fellow at Cardiff University. His many publications include Franco German Relations, French Politics and Society, and Francois Mitterand: A study in political leadership. Peter John is Anniversary Reader in Politics, Birkbeck College, University of London. He chaired the Political Studies Association Research Sub-Committee, 1999-2000, and worked closely with the Economic and Social Research Council as an adviser. He is the author of Analysing Public Policy.
'...this is a book that provides sufficient comparative insights and would be a good addition to teaching and research libraries.' - Urban Studies, Mike Raco, University of Reading. '...this book is already a 'classic' comparative book in the field of local government/local governance in Europe. It has no equivalent in Europe. It is the most rigorous and carefully designed comparative research in the field of local government published for quite a long time. It is essential reading for comparative government courses, a useful tool with the extensive bibliography and the depth of the research makes it also crucial for postgraduate and advanced researchers.' - Patrick Le Galés, CEVIPOF-CNRS/Sciences Po Paris, West European Politics.