ABSTRACT
At the beginning of Chapter 1, it was argued that the subject of central-local relations seemed to be divorced from more general issues in the study of government. In addition, the existing theories or models of the relationship were seen to be inadequate, ignoring a number of important dimensions. However, it is possible both to provide a framework of analysis and to relate the study of central-local relations to broader issues by drawing upon a wider range of literature than is normally associated with the subject. Both the sociologists who explored interorganizational linkages and the political scientists who have explored intergovernmental relations have produced models or theories capable of illuminating the interactions between British governmental units. These bodies of literature are limited, however, in a variety of ways. In this chapter, the attempt is made to construct a frame work of analysis which draws upon the interorganizational analysis and IGR literature but avoids some of their more obvious weaknesses. Most impor tant, the framework does not focus solely upon the interactions between central and local government: the figure. Drawing upon corporatist theory, the analysis of the interactions is located within a broader context: the ground. More specifically, the changing role of government and its effects on the rules of the game will be explored.
