Tensions in the Territorial Politics of Western Europe

R. A. W. Rhodes (University of Southampton, UK), Vincent Wright

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English

Routledge
12 September 2025

Regional studies; History; Political leaders & leadership; EU & European institutions; Political economy

Series: Routledge Library Editions: Politics of the European Union

Tensions in the Territorial Politics of Western Europe (1987) examines the massive postwar increase in European government intervention, a major element being the development of welfare services provided by sub-central units of government. Governments have faced the dilemma of being electorally accountable for services delivered through differentiated, disaggregated policy systems. The territorial distribution of functions has become a major political and policy issue, and government centres have developed strategies for regulating the function-based policy system. The term territorial politics refers to the arena of political activity concerned with the relations between central and sub-central organisations, while recognising the need to return to history. The objectives of this work are to argue for a focus on territorial politics; to demonstrate that the analysis of territorial politics requires an exploration of historical context; and to analyse contemporary problems in territorial politics, focusing on functional allocation, interest articulation, central regulation and the distributional consequence of policy networks.

Edited by: R. A. W. Rhodes (University of Southampton UK), Vincent Wright
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781041081166
ISBN 10: 1041081162
Series: Routledge Library Editions: Politics of the European Union
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 12 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

1. Introduction R.A.W. Rhodes and Vincent Wright 2. Territorial Politics in the United Kingdom: the Politics of Change, Conflict and Contradiction R.A.W. Rhodes 3. France: the Construction and Reconstruction of the Centre, 1945–86 Yves Mény 4. The Federal Republic of Germany: From Co-operative Federalism to Joint Policy-making Joachim Jens Hesse 5. Italy: Territorial Politics in the Postwar Years – the Case of Regional Reform Robert Leonardi, Raffaella Y. Nanetti and Robert D. Putnam 6. The Netherlands: A Decentralised Unitary State in a Welfare Society Theo A.J. Toonen 7. Ireland: the Interplay of Territory and Function T.J. Barrington 8. The West European State: the Territorial Dimension L.J. Sharpe

R.A.W. Rhodes and Vincent Wright