Chris Game

 

Visiting Lecturer

Institute of Local Government Studies

Contact details

Telephone +44 (0)121 414 5008

Email c.h.game@bham.ac.uk

Research

Research interests

  • Generally: almost anything to do with the politics of sub-central government, esp. in the UK but also comparative
  • More specifically: elections, electoral behaviour and electoral systems; political parties; political leadership; councillors and councillor roles; political management of local authorities; member-officer relations; central-local government relations

 

Current and recent projects

 

 

  • Writing one of the thematic papers for the independent Commission on Local Councillors on reducing barriers and increasing incentives to becoming and remaining a councillor. My paper focuses on the barriers and incentives created by the legal and electoral system (Summer 2007).
  • Updating the Association of Electoral Administrators’ Diploma Manual. I am re-writing the section on 'Public Administration', with particular emphasis on current issues facing electoral administrators (2006-07).
  • Discovering the history of the ‘lost’ Cotswold county of Winchcombeshire (Municipal Journal, 3rd May, 2007).
  • Acting, and writing, as ‘expert’ to the Birmingham Mail's petition campaign for a referendum on an elected mayor (2007/08) articles.
  • Producing 4th edition of David Wilson and Chris Game, Local Government in the United Kingdom (Palgrave) - 1,500 paperback sales in first six months! (2006)
  • Preparing a poster presentation on Birmingham’s 2005 election fraud trial for the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association in Philadelphia (2006).
  • Writing a daily ‘A to Z of elections’ column for The Birmingham Post throughout the General Election campaign , in addition to longer ‘Perspective’ pieces on election timing, systemic bias in the electoral system, postal voting, the papal election, performance of the opinion polls – and, more recently, Curzon Street Station arch, public conveniences, Monty Panesar, the death penalty, the origins of football clubs, British Summer Time, etc.
  • Consultancy for Hampshire County Council, with fellow INLOGOV Associate, Bill Hamilton, on the Council’s piloting of scrutiny and area committees (2004/05).
  • Research study for the Local Government International Bureau (LGIB), with IDD colleagues, Simon Delay and Lara Green, on ‘Why should my local authority be involved in an overseas 

Publications

Wilson D and Game C (2006)Local Government in the United Kingdom, 4th ed. (Palgrave)

Game C (2006) 'Comprehensive performance assessment in English local government’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 55:6, 466-79

Green L, Game C and Delay S (2005) Why Should My Local Authority be Involved in an Overseas Study? (UK Local Government Alliance for International Development / University of Birmingham)

Game C (2004) ‘Should the winner take all, or even quite so much?’ in Pike A (ed.), The Missing Modernisation: The Case for PR in Local Government Elections (Make Votes Count / ERS), 10-16

Game C (2004) ‘Direct democracy in 2003: Referendums, initiatives and recall’ in Lancaster S (ed.), Developments in Politics: An Annual Review, Volume 15, 52-84

Game C (2004) ‘Küçük Güzel Olabilir Ama Büyüklüğüde Avantajlari var: Britanya’da Ekonomik Kalkinmada Yerel Yönetimlerin Rolü’, in Yerel Kalkinmada Belediyelerin Rolü: Uluslararasi Sempozyum (Pendik Belediyesi Kültür Yayinlari 21) (2004) - for the benefit of any Turkish readers

Game C (2004) ‘Local elections in Britain - Review article’, Local Government Studies, 30:2, 276-80

Game C (2003) ‘Local government in Labour’s second term: Plenty more modernisation and a few elected mayors’ in Lancaster S (ed.), Developments in Politics: An Annual Review, Volume 14, 117-47

Game C (2003) ‘Elected mayors: More distraction than attraction?’, Public Policy and Administration, 18:1, 13-28

Game C (2002) ‘La revolution à 5% de l’administration local britannique: l’impact hesitant du programme de modernisation des nouveaux travaillistes’, Revue Internationale des Sciences Administratives, 68:3, 465-80

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