Public policy-making in Western democracies is confronted by new pressures. Central values relating to the role of the state, the role of markets and the role of citizenship are now all contested and the consensus built up around the Keynesian welfare state is under challenge. New social movements are entering the political arena: electronic technologies are transforming the nature of employment; changes in demographic structure are creating heightened demands for public services; unforeseen social and health problems are emerging; and, most disturbing, social and economic inequalities are increasing in many countries. How governmentsat international, national and local levelsrespond to this developing agenda is the central focus of the Public Policy and Politics series. Aimed at a student, professional, practitioner and academic readership, it aims to provide up-todate, comprehensive and authoritative analyses of public policymaking in practice. The series is international and interdisciplinary in scope and bridges theory and practice by relating the substance of policy to the politics of the policy-making process.
In this article, which is based on personal interviews with councillors, council candidates, party members and their spouses, we look at the considerations governing recruitment to district and county councils. After criticising some aspects of what we call the classic model of political recruitment, we look in some detail at the resources, opportunities and motivations of potential council members. We identify some differences in patterns of recruitment according to gender and to party. The most important distinction, however, is between those who ‘drift’ into a council position at the suggestion of a party member, and the majority who strenuously resist such persuasion.
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