ABSTRACT
In the last twenty years there have been sharply contrasting views of the role of local authorities, and their relationship with the electorate, as witnessed by the changes which have taken place and the conflicts they have engendered. The aim of this chapter is to outline the major ideas involved, before concentrating on their impact on the relationship between tenants, councillors and housing managers. Among the two major ideas which have dominated thinking about local government are consumerism and citizenship. This chapter develops three models of local authorities based on these concepts and looks at what they mean for the relationship between landlord and tenant in general and tenant participation in particular. This discussion is illustrated with details of our six case study local authorities.
