This book investigates the underlying factors that influence voter participation and the overall health of local democratic processes in Britain. Author William L. Miller utilizes a comprehensive survey methodology to analyze the political and electoral foundations of local government. By examining data from extensive interviews conducted during the mid-1980s, the work provides a rigorous assessment of whether local elections effectively serve their intended democratic function.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational empirical study of British local politics during the 1980s. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the significant depth of the statistical analysis provided.