Political leadership in the new urban governance: Britain and France compared

The tension between leadership and democracy is always implicit in the gove rnance of the contemporary city. The qualities that make local political sy stems work are the same ones that can undermine the claims of liberal democ racy to be an effective and responsive type of government. Yet there are ci rcumstances when strong leadership combines with effective democratic contr ol. In particular, we argue in this paper that there are creative pathways that local political readers may take to mobilise local communities for col lective action; and skilful leaders can raise the governing capacity of loc al communities. To achieve these contradictory aims, there an a variety of leadership styles that emerge in different contexts, and each has its costs and benefits.