Although the relationship between elected officials and appointed executives has often been viewed as a struggle between master and servant-with disagreements as to which individuals occupy which roles-Poul Erik Mouritzen’s and James Svara’s comparison of city governments in fourteen countries reveals more interdependence and shared influence than conflict over control. Mouritzen and Svara bring local government to the forefront, emphasizing the sophisticated level of city management in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their findings lead to a revision of the general view concerning the boundaries of public administration.Leadership at the Apex illustrates in practical ways how the democratic control of government and professional administration can coexist without undermining the logic or integrity of each other.

About the Author
Poul Erik Mouritzen, professor of political science at the University of Southern Denmark at Odense, is the author of Managing Cities in Austerity: Urban Fiscal Stress in Ten Western Countries.

Reviews
Adds considerably to our theoretical, empirical, and practical knowledge about the way local political leaders work. - Michael Goldsmith, Salford University, England ""Gives new and empirical insights into the complex and complementary roles of politicians and bureaucrats operating within different structural and cultural contexts."" - Joorgen Groonnegaard Christensen, Aarhus University, Denmark ""Required reading for all concerned with the challenge of better understanding and managing the complex relationships between politics and administration in democratic governance."" - Delmer D. Dunn, University of Georgia



Book Information
ISBN 9780822957850
Author Poul Erik Mouritzen
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint University of Pittsburgh Press
Publisher University of Pittsburgh Press