Local Goverment and Urban Politics (PADM415)
This course introduces the main concepts, ideas, and theories necessary for a scientific study of local government and urban politics. The following issues are examined and evaluated: the historical roots of local autonomy; contemporary concepts and developments; and the role of local authorities in democratization; and aided by case studies of urban politics in a selection of western democracies in relation to such international organizations as the council of Europe and the European Union.