London in Context

Abstract

Governing London is a complex business. The city’s vast population, its geography and history conspire to make the British capital an unusually difficult place to govern. The election of a city-wide Greater London Authority in May 2000 brought into being the fourth system of metropolitan government within 35 years. By contrast, New York City has had a single system of government since 1898. The regularity with which London’s government is reorganized suggests there is something unusual about the pressures that affect successive systems.