Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations
Preface
Introductory Note

Part I: An Introduction to Canadian Metropolitan Politics

Chapter 1: The study of urban politics
Chapter 2: The policy-making system of the Canadian city
Chapter 3: Urban political culture and the limits to policy choice
Chapter 4: The development of locally accountable organizations

Part II: The Politics of City Governing

Chapter 5: Elections and voters
Chapter 6: Political parties and theories of local non-partisanship 
Chapter 7: Interests and lobbying at City Hall
Chapter 8: Social movements, leadership, and the policy agenda

Part III: Intergovernmental Issues and Metropolitan Governing

Chapter 9: Relations among governments
Chapter 10: Standing issues in regional governing
Chapter 11: Theoretical questions about metropolitan institutions
Chapter 12: Organizing city governments in the metropolis
Chapter 13: The politics of local government reform

Part IV: Canadian Metropolitan Centres in a World Context

Chapter 14: The impact of world practices on Canadian metropolitan cities

Glossary
References
Index of Names
Index of Subjects

Promotional Information

City Politics, Canada will both irritate and please, but it should be read--it raises all the important questions about urban governance in Canada. It integrates an understanding of the impact of the world context on Canadian cities with the detailing of the ways in which provincial governments guide and control municipalities. James Lightbody has always been an ardent promoter of city-region amalgamations and municipal political parties and these two themes are central to City Politics, Canada. Both positions are argued in great detail and the discussion links these issues to the big political questions--democracy, participation, innovation. The scope is broad and the detail is there. -- Caroline Andrew, Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa City Politics, Canada is an excellent read. It is comprehensive--from historical reform efforts, through public policy making in our cities, to urban elections, political parties and interest groups. It identifies the impact of urban culture and social movements. It comments on the current debates about local intergovernmental relations and new public management. It has opinions on regional/metropolitan governance for the twenty-first century. And it asks the reader to think about urban theory and the internationalization of cities. It does all this with some attitude--one which engages and provokes rethinking much of what we think we know about modern political life in Canada. -- Patrick J. Smith, Simon Fraser University

About the Author

James Lightbody is Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Queen's University and has published in various scholarly journals on the topic of city politics. He is the editor of Canadian Metropolitics: Governing Our Cities (Copp, Clark, 1995).

Reviews

City Politics, Canada will both irritate and please, but it should be read--it raises all the important questions about urban governance in Canada. It integrates an understanding of the impact of the world context on Canadian cities with the detailing of the ways in which provincial governments guide and control municipalities. James Lightbody has always been an ardent promoter of city-region amalgamations and municipal political parties and these two themes are central to City Politics, Canada. Both positions are argued in great detail and the discussion links these issues to the big political questions--democracy, participation, innovation. The scope is broad and the detail is there.--Caroline Andrew, Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa
City Politics, Canada is an excellent read. It is comprehensive--from historical reform efforts, through public policy making in our cities, to urban elections, political parties and interest groups. It identifies the impact of urban culture and social movements. It comments on the current debates about local intergovernmental relations and new public management. It has opinions on regional/metropolitan governance for the twenty-first century. And it asks the reader to think about urban theory and the internationalization of cities. It does all this with some attitude--one which engages and provokes rethinking much of what we think we know about modern political life in Canada.--Patrick J. Smith, Simon Fraser University