Localism and Centralism in Europe The Political and Legal Bases of Local Self-Government

This book examines the legal and political basis of relationships between national and local government in seven countries: Britain, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Spain. Page's study reveals significantly different approaches to the division of responsibility between central and local government. He argues that these differences originate in the distinctive patterns of development experienced in southern and northern Europe and goes on to examine the implications of his findings for patterns of policy making at the local level.