ABSTRACT
Local governments may have more scope to be inclusive than national governments because they are smaller in scale and less remote from their constituents. A local government's relationships are more likely to be face-to-face rather than through the media. The greater scope of local authorities to be inclusive is one reason they should be at the forefront of the quest for sustainable development. Nevertheless, the potential for local authorities to be more inclusive is not always met; they are often dominated by local elites and unresponsive to the needs of others in their communities.
