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.

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.

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.