Political Leadership in the New Urban Governance: Britain and France Compared

The tension between leadership and democracy is always implicit in the governance of the contemporary city. The qualities that make local political systems work are the same ones that can undermine the claims of liberal democracy to be an effective and responsive type of government. Yet there are circumstances when strong leadership combines with effective democratic control. In particular, we argue in this paper that there are creative pathways that local political leaders may take to mobilise local communities for collective action; and skilful leaders can raise the governing capacity of local communities. To achieve these contradictory aims, there are a variety of leadership styles that emerge in different contexts, and each has its costs and benefits.