Skip to main content

‘Army of One or Join the Club’? Comparing Local Political Leadership in Europe

  • Chapter
Comparative Political Leadership

Abstract

Over the last few decades and in many European countries, local government went through an era of transformation to meet the manifold challenges it had to confront (Denters and Rose 2005). One of the areas in which much activity in terms of discourse, reform, and change occurred is political leadership. The latter is thereby perceived as one of the main targets in need of adaptation to cope with the altering demands towards localities. Although leadership is often the talk of the town, evoking intuitive notions of innovation, trust, purposefulness, direction, and manageability (Gill 2006), adding the prefix ‘political’ is not particularly helpful in overcoming its essentially contested meaning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bäck, Henry (2005) ‘The Institutional Setting of Local Political Leadership and Community Involvement’. In Haus, Michael, Heinelt, Hubert and Murray, Stuart (eds), Urban Governance and Democracy: Leadership and Community Involvement (Oxon: Routledge), 65–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bäck, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds) (2006) The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag).

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg, Rikke and Rao, Nirmala (eds) (2005) Transforming Local Political Leadership (Houndmills: Palgrave).

    Google Scholar 

  • Borraz, Olivier and John, Peter (2004) ‘The Transformation of Urban Political Leadership in Western Europe’. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 28(1): 107–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, Neil (2004) New State Spaces: Urban Governance and the Rescaling of Statehood (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Burns, James (1978) Leadership (New York: Harper Collins).

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, Tom (2001) ‘Administrative Reform: Changing Leadership Roles?’ Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration 14(4): 457–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copus, Colin (2006) Leading the Localities: Executive Mayors in English Local Governance (Manchester: Manchester University Press).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Coulson, Andrew and Campbell, Adrian (eds) (2008) Local Government in Central and Eastern Europe: The Rebirth of Local Democracy (London: Sage).

    Google Scholar 

  • Delwit, Pascal, Pilet, Jean-Benoit, Reynaert, Herwig and Steyvers, Kristof (eds) (2007) Towards DIY-Politics? Participatory and Direct Democracy at the Local Level in Europe (Brugge and Baden-Baden: Vanden Broele and Nomos).

    Google Scholar 

  • Denters, Bas and Rose, Larry (2005) ‘Towards Local Governance?’ In Denters, Bas and Rose, Larry (eds), Comparing Local Governance: Trends and Developments (London: Palgrave Macmillan), 246–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denters, Bas, Klok, Pieter-Jan and Van der Kolk, Henk (2005) ‘The Reform of the Political Executive in Dutch Local Government’. In Berg, Rikke and Rao, Nirmala (eds), Transforming Local Political Leadership (Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan), 15–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunleavy, Patrick and Hood, Christopher (1994) ‘From Old Public Administration to New Public Management’. Public Money & Management 14(3): 9–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edinger, Lewis (1975) ‘The Comparative Analysis of Political Leadership’. Comparative Politics 7(2): 253–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elgie, Robert (1995) Political Leadership in Liberal Democracies (Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fallend, Franz, Ignits, Georgi and Swianiewicz, Pawel (2006) ‘Divided Loyalties? Mayors between Party Representation and Local Community Interests’. In Back, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds), The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag), 245–70.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Genieys, William, Ballart, Xavier and Valarié, Pierre (2004) ‘From “Great” Leaders to Building Networks: The Emergence of a New Urban Leadership in Southern Europe?’ International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 28(1): 183–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getimis, Panos and Hlepas, Nikos (2006) ‘Aspects of Leadership Styles: An Interaction of Context and Personalities’. In Bäck, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds), The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag), 177–99.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gibb, Cecil (1979) ‘Leadership: Psychological Aspects’. In Sills, David (ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, vol. 9 (New York: The Macmillan Company), 91–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill, Roger (2006) Theory and Practice of Leadership (London: Sage).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, Mike and Larsen, Helge (2004) ‘Local Political Leadership: Nordic Style’. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 28(1): 121–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greasly, Stephen and Stoker, Gerry (2009) ‘Urban Political Leadership’. In Davies, Jonathan and Imbroscio, David (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London: Sage), 125–36.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Guérin, Elodie and Kerrouche, Eric (2008) ‘From Amateurs to Professionals: The Changing Face of Local Elected Representatives in Europe’. Local Government Studies 34(2): 179–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hambleton, Robin and Sweeting, David (2004) ‘US-Style Leadership for English Local Government?’ Public Administration Review 54(4): 474–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, David (1989) ‘From Managerialism to Entrepreneuralism: The Transformation of Urban Governance in Late Capitalism’. Geografiska Annaler, Series B, Human Geography 71(1): 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heinelt, Hubert and Hlepas, Nikos (2006) ‘Typologies of Local Government Systems’. In Bäck, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds), The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag), 21–42.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hendriks, Frank, Loughlin, John and Lidström, Anders (2010) ‘European Subnational Democracy: Comparative Reflections and Conclusions’. In Loughlin, John, Hendriks, Frank and Lidström, Anders (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 715–42.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hesse, Joachim Jens and Sharpe, Laurence (1991) ‘Local Government in International Perspective: Some Comparative Observations’. In Hesse, Joachim Jens (ed.), Local Government and Urban Affairs in International Perspective: Analyses of Twenty Western Industrialized Countries (Baden-Baden: Nomos-Verlagsgesellschaft), 605–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hood, Christopher and Peters, Guy (2004) ‘The Middle Aging of New Public Management: Into the Age of Paradox?’ Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 14(3): 267–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John, Peter (2001) Local Governance in Western Europe (London: Sage).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantor, Paul and Savitch, Hank (2005) ‘How to Study Comparative Urban Development Politics?’ International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 29(1): 201–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kersting, Norbert (2005) ‘Reforming Local Electoral Systems in Europe’. In Reynaert, Herwig, Steyvers, Kristof, Delwit, Pascal and Pilet, Jean-Benoit (eds), Revolution or Renovation? Reforming Local Politics in Europe (Brugge: Vanden Broele), 29–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjær, Anne (2009) ‘Governance and the Urban Bureaucracy’. In Davies, Jonathan and Imbroscio, David (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London: Sage), 137–52.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, John and Lawrence, Paul (1974) Mayors in Action: Five Approaches to Urban Governance (New York: John Wiley).

    Google Scholar 

  • Leach, Steve and Wilson, David (2000) Local Political Leadership (Bristol: The Policy Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, Helge (2005) ‘Transforming Local Leadership: Models, Trends and Reforms’. In Berg, Rikke and Rao, Nirmala (eds), Transforming Local Political Leadership (Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan), 195–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowndes, Vivien (2009) ‘New Institutionalism and Urban Politics’. In Davies, Jonathan and Imbroscio, David (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London: Sage), 91–105.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lowndes, Vivian and Leach, Steve (2004) ‘Understanding Local Political Leadership: Constitutions, Contexts and Capabilities’. Local Government Studies 30(4): 557–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magnier, Annick (2006) ‘Strong Mayors? On Direct Election and Political Entrepreneurship’. In Bäck, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds), The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag), 353–76.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Magnier, Annick, Navarro Yáñez, Clemente and Russo, Pippo (2006) ‘Urban Systems as Growth Machines: Mayor’s Governing Networks against Global Indeterminancy’. In Bäck, Henry, Heinelt, Hubert and Magnier, Annick (eds), The European Mayor: Political Leaders in the Changing Context of Local Democracy (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag), 201–19.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Magre, Jaume and Bertrana, Xavier (2007) ‘Exploring the Limits of Institutional Change: The Direct Election of Mayors in Western Europe’. Local Government Studies 33(2): 181–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • March, James and Olson, Johan (1989) Rediscovering Institutions (New York: The Free Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Molotch, Harvey (1976) ‘The City as Growth Machine’. American Journal of Sociology 82(2): 309–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mossberger, Karen (2009) ‘Urban Regime Analysis’. In Davies, Jonathan and Imbroscio, David (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London: Sage), 40–54.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mouritzen, Poul-Eric and Svara, James (2002) Leadership at the Apex: Politicians and Administrators in Western Local Governments (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburg Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Navarro Yáñez, Clemente, Magnier, Annick and Ramírez Perez, Antonia (2008) ‘Local Governance as Government-Business Cooperation in Western Democracies’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 32(3): 531–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norton, Alan (1994) International Handbook of Local and Regional Government (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom, Elinor (1999) ‘Institutional Rational Choice: An Assessment of the Institutional Process’. In Sabatier, Paul (ed.), Theories of the Policy Process (Boulder: Westview Press), 35–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, Guy (1992) ‘Government Reorganisation: A Theoretical Analysis’. International Political Science Review 13(2): 199–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez Pérez, Antonia, Navarro Yáñez, Clemente and Clark, Terry (2008) ‘Mayors and Local Governing Coalitions in Democratic Countries: A Cross-National Comparison’. Local Government Studies 34(2): 147–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynaert, Herwig, Steyvers, Kristof and Delwit, Pascal (eds) (2009) Local Political Leadership in Europe: Town Chief, City Boss or Local President? (Brugge and Baden-Baden: Vanden Broele and Nomos).

    Google Scholar 

  • Saiz, Martin (1999) ‘Mayoral Perceptions of Developmental and Redistributive Policies: A Cross-National Perspective’. Urban Affairs Review 34(3): 372–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savitch, Hank and Vogel, Ronald (2005) ‘The United States: Executive-Centred Politics’. In Denters, Bas and Rose, Larry (eds), Comparing Local Governance: Trends and Developments (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan), 211–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpf, Fritz W. (1997) Games Real Actors Play: Actor-Centered Institutionalism in Policy Research (Oxford: Westview Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, Jefferey (2002) ‘The Nation-State and Urban Governance’. Urban Affairs Review 37(5): 611–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, Jefferey (2005) ‘Replacing the Nation: An Agenda for Comparative Urban Politics’. Urban Affairs Review 40(4): 419–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, Jefferey and Lidström, Anders (2007) ‘Decentralization, Local Government, and the Welfare State’. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration and Institutions 20(4): 609–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steyvers, Kristof, Bergström, Tomas, Bäck, Henry, Boogers, Marcel, Ruano de la Fuente, José Manuel and Schaap, Linze (2008) ‘From Princeps to President? Comparing Local Political Leadership Transformation’. Local Government Studies 34(2): 131–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoker, Gerry (2006) ‘Comparative Local Governance’. In Rhodes, R. A. W., Binder, Sarah and Rockman, Bert (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 497–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoker, Gerry and Mossberger, Karen (1994) ‘Urban Regime Theory in Comparative Perspective’. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 12(2): 195–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, Clarence (1989) Regime Politics: Governing Atlanta 1946–1988 (Lawrence: Kansas University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, Clarence (1995) ‘Political Leadership in Urban Politics’. In Judge, David, Stoker, Gerry and Wolman, Hal (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London: Sage), 96–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, Clarence (2005) ‘Looking Back to Look Forward: Reflections on Urban Regime Analysis’. Urban Affairs Review 40(3): 309–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svara, James (2005) ‘Institutional Form and Political Leadership in American City Government’. In Berg, Rikke and Rao, Nirmala (eds), Transforming Local Political Leadership (London: Palgrave Macmillan), 131–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swianiewicz, Pawel (2006) ‘Poland: A Time of Transition’. In Denters, Bas and Rose, Larry (eds), Comparing Local Governance: Trends and Developments (London: Routledge), 100–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, Ronald and Harrigan, John (2007) Political Change in the Metropolis (New York: Pearson Longman).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolman, Hal (2008) ‘Comparing Local Government Systems Across Countries: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges to Building a Field of Comparative Local Government Studies’. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 26(1): 87–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wollmann, Hellmut (2006) ‘The Fall and the Rise of the Local Community: A Comparative and Historical Perspective’. Urban Studies 43(8): 1419–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wollmann, Hellmut (2009) ‘The Ascent of the Directly Elected Mayor in European Local Government in West and East’. In Reynaert, Herwig, Steyvers, Kristof and Delwit, Pascal (eds), Local Political Leadership in Europe: Town Chief City Boss or Local President? (Brugge and Baden-Baden: Vanden Broele and Nomos), 115–48.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2012 Kristof Steyvers, Herwig Reynaert and Tony Valcke

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Steyvers, K., Reynaert, H., Valcke, T. (2012). ‘Army of One or Join the Club’? Comparing Local Political Leadership in Europe. In: Helms, L. (eds) Comparative Political Leadership. Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137264916_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics