This work investigates the extent to which local community dynamics and grassroots structures dictate the behavior and efficacy of national political parties in Canada. Authors Munroe Eagles and R. Kenneth Carty utilize a combination of organizational analysis and community-based research to challenge the traditional top-down view of political parties. They argue that the idiosyncratic nature of local life serves as the primary foundation for political engagement, effectively decentralizing the study of national party politics.

Experts recognize this text as a foundational contribution to the study of Canadian political geography and party organization. Scholars frequently cite the book for its shift in focus from national leadership to the grassroots mechanisms that sustain political life.