The focus of this chapter is on the process by which issues and problems are raised in local government and the roles which councillors play in that process. This entails a consideration of how councillors fit into the social and political milieu in which they operate and how they perceive that milieu since these perceptions will shape their own conduct. Councillors, central as they are to local government, are not the sole group with political influence at a local level. Accordingly, the analysis makes a broad but essential distinction between councillors and other elite individuals with influence in local affairs. They, in turn, are also collectively contrasted with both the groups and private citizens who comprise the local grass-roots populace.

We begin by examining a number of social and political characteristics which throw light on the degree to which elites and citizens differ in background or in the extent of their integration into local life. We then move on to consider similarities and differences in the perceptions of local issues possessed by councillors, other influentials and by the population at large. Finally, the chapter will look at the kind of role councillors play in reconciling and integrating the various groups and forces operating in local political life.

THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LOCATION OF COUNCILLORS

In order to examine the role of councillors in the management and processing of demands we must first locate them, and the citizenry, within a common framework of significant social and political characteristics.