Allan McConnell – författare

The constant threat of crises such as disasters, riots and terrorist attacks poses a frightening challenge to Western societies and governments. While the causes and dynamics of these events have been widely studied, we know little about what happens following their containment and the restoration of stability. This volume explores 'post-crisis politics,' examining how crises give birth to longer term dynamic processes of accountability and learning which are characterised by official investigations, blame games, political manoeuvring, media scrutiny and crisis exploitation. Drawing from a wide range of contemporary crises, including Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Madrid train bombings, the Walkerton water contamination, Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia and the Boxing Day Asian tsunami, this is a ground-breaking volume which addresses the longer term impact of crisis-induced politics. Competing pressures for stability and change mean that policies, institutions and leaders may occasionally be uprooted, but often survive largely intact.

The constant threat of crises such as disasters, riots and terrorist attacks poses a frightening challenge to Western societies and governments. While the causes and dynamics of these events have been widely studied, we know little about what happens following their containment and the restoration of stability. This volume explores 'post-crisis politics,' examining how crises give birth to longer term dynamic processes of accountability and learning which are characterised by official investigations, blame games, political manoeuvring, media scrutiny and crisis exploitation. Drawing from a wide range of contemporary crises, including Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Madrid train bombings, the Walkerton water contamination, Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia and the Boxing Day Asian tsunami, this is a ground-breaking volume which addresses the longer term impact of crisis-induced politics. Competing pressures for stability and change mean that policies, institutions and leaders may occasionally be uprooted, but often survive largely intact.

This book fills an important gap in our understanding of Scottish local government in the dynamic new context of the Scottish Parliament. It provides academics, students, practitioners, journalists and others with a broad-ranging yet detailed account, not just of how local government actually works, but also the main political issues and debates surrounding its multi-faceted roles in contemporary Scotland. It covers issues such as:*The nature and purpose of Scottish local government*The strengths and weaknesses of unitary authorities*Modernisation of political management arrangements*Roles and remuneration for councillors*Electoral reform and new methods for encouraging citizen participation*The growth of non-elected local governance*Best Value and the rise of the performance culture*The politics of council finance: including business rates, Council Tax and PFI*The wider context of central-local relations, multi-level governance and globalizationThe book contains a wealth of facts, figures, tables and diagrams. The accompanying analysis draws, in a supportive way, on literature from the traditions of public policy, public administration and political science. The end result is an original, modern, accessible analysis of Scottish local government in the context of devolution. A particular focus throughout is assessing the ‘distinctiveness’ of Scottish local government compared to the rest of the UK, and addressing the question – to what extent has devolution made a difference to Scottish local government?Key Features:* Only modern work of its kind - fills a gap in our understanding of local government in Scotland* Accessible - offers the facts of how Scottish local government works, combined with incisive political analysis* Places Scottish local government in the context of the Scottish Parliament, Westminster, the EU and an increasingly globalised world

This book fills an important gap in our understanding of Scottish local government in the dynamic new context of the Scottish Parliament. It provides academics, students, practitioners, journalists and others with a broad-ranging yet detailed account, not just of how local government actually works, but also the main political issues and debates surrounding its multi-faceted roles in contemporary Scotland. It covers issues such as:*The nature and purpose of Scottish local government*The strengths and weaknesses of unitary authorities*Modernisation of political management arrangements*Roles and remuneration for councillors*Electoral reform and new methods for encouraging citizen participation*The growth of non-elected local governance*Best Value and the rise of the performance culture*The politics of council finance: including business rates, Council Tax and PFI*The wider context of central-local relations, multi-level governance and globalizationThe book contains a wealth of facts, figures, tables and diagrams. The accompanying analysis draws, in a supportive way, on literature from the traditions of public policy, public administration and political science. The end result is an original, modern, accessible analysis of Scottish local government in the context of devolution. A particular focus throughout is assessing the ‘distinctiveness’ of Scottish local government compared to the rest of the UK, and addressing the question – to what extent has devolution made a difference to Scottish local government?Key Features:* Only modern work of its kind - fills a gap in our understanding of local government in Scotland* Accessible - offers the facts of how Scottish local government works, combined with incisive political analysis* Places Scottish local government in the context of the Scottish Parliament, Westminster, the EU and an increasingly globalised world

Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector 3rd edition is a guide for public managers and public management students which combines practical and scholarly knowledge about risk and crisis management together in a single accessible text. In the uncertainty of the twenty-first century, public managers need to know how to identify risks and plan for crises, how to respond to uncertain events and emergencies and how to develop resilience. This book provides this fundamental knowledge with reference to a range of contemporary cases including COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and global cyber-crime crises. It also explores the international, transboundary and multi-agency dimensions of risk and crisis management.This fully updated new edition explores the cutting edge of risk and crisis management scholarship, provides an extensive series of tools and practical guidance for public managers who deal with uncertainty and draws on a wealth of classic and contemporary case studies. This content equips readers and public managers with the knowledge and skills to understand key issues and debates, as well as the capacity to treat risks and better prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis episodes. This book is essential reading for students studying public management, risk management and crisis management as well as professionals in the public management sector.

Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector 3rd edition is a guide for public managers and public management students which combines practical and scholarly knowledge about risk and crisis management together in a single accessible text. In the uncertainty of the twenty-first century, public managers need to know how to identify risks and plan for crises, how to respond to uncertain events and emergencies and how to develop resilience. This book provides this fundamental knowledge with reference to a range of contemporary cases including COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and global cyber-crime crises. It also explores the international, transboundary and multi-agency dimensions of risk and crisis management.This fully updated new edition explores the cutting edge of risk and crisis management scholarship, provides an extensive series of tools and practical guidance for public managers who deal with uncertainty and draws on a wealth of classic and contemporary case studies. This content equips readers and public managers with the knowledge and skills to understand key issues and debates, as well as the capacity to treat risks and better prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis episodes. This book is essential reading for students studying public management, risk management and crisis management as well as professionals in the public management sector.

This volume of leading scholarly articles addresses the international dynamics of emergency policy and practice. In a world of increasing technological, economic and political interdependency, it is no longer feasible for states to ignore the pervasive influence of globalisation. The crises wrought by industrial disasters, catastrophic weather events, pandemics, financial implosion and cyber intrusion now transcend and challenge national interests with increasing frequency. The case-studies collected here explore these global dimensions of crisis and the state through the lenses of planning and prevention, acute responses, recovery and reconstruction, and learning about crisis. This collection is essential reading for academics, policy officials and practitioners with an interest in emergency management, risk management and issues of national/global security. In original introductory and concluding chapters to the volume, Legrand and McConnell provide a critical perspective on the challenges that globalisation presents to policymakers under crisis conditions and signposts some of the emerging challenges to the state and international community.

Written by three eminent scholars in the field of the politics and policy of crisis management, it offers a unique ‘bird’s eye’ view of the immense logistical and political challenges of addressing a worst-case scenario that would prove the ultimate stress test for societies, governments, governing institutions and political leaders.