In recent years, municipalities have had to adjust to dramatic changes in their role in a new democratised system of national, provincial and local government. They have had to accept increased responsibilities in terms of service rendering and some have found it difficult to cope with the growing demands of their communities. South African municipal government and administration clarifies the powers and functions of the local sphere of government, what services communities are entitled to, and how councillors and officials could be made accountable for non-delivery of these services, under-performance or lack of pride in the quality of work done. This second edition of South African municipal government and administration incorporates the most recent developments in this sphere of government. It describes the obligations of councils, councillors and appointed officials with regard to policy implementation, and their accountability for the delivery of high-quality services to civic society. It includes various practical examples as well as rulings of the Constitutional Court, policy statements and reports. Contents include the following: Origins and characteristics of urban areas; Functions and powers of municipal councils; Coordinating structures, composition and objectives of municipal councils; Municipal planning; Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA); Human resource administration and management; Municipal associations and related institutions; Public relations: functions and objectives. The book is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students studying municipal government and administration, as well as aspiring and serving municipal councillors.

The effects of the supremacy of the Constitution and the democratising of the government have become of particular practical administrative importance during the past decade. Policies and practices are required to give effect to constitutional provisions and also need to acknowledge international requirements with the acceptance of South Africa into the world of nations both in Africa and further afield. The tenth edition of South African public administration and management (first published in 1981 as Introduction to public administration) is compiled in accordance with the new political and administrative system which commenced with the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. South African public administration and management focuses on the participants and the activities involved in policy making; constructing organisational structures; financing public sector activities; the provision and appointment of human resources; establishing work procedures; and exercising control to ensure that government's stated goals are achieved. Key concepts and self-study questions for each chapter are included, and various examples from the public sector relate the text to the real world within which public administration and management are practised.

Niklas Luhmann's social theory stands in direct opposition to the dominant 'anthropocentric' traditions of legal and political analysis. King and Thornhill now offer the first comprehensive, critical examination of Luhmann's highly original theory of the operations of the legal and political systems. They describe how from the perspective of his 'sociological enlightenment' Luhmann continually calls to account the certainties, the ambitions and rational foundations of The Enlightenment and the idealized versions of law and politics which they have produced.

Niklas Luhmann's social theory stands in direct opposition to the dominant "anthropocentric" traditions of legal and political analysis. King and Thornhill now offer the first comprehensive, critical examination of Luhmann's highly original theory of the operations of the legal and political systems. They describe how from the perspective of his "sociological enlightenment" Luhmann continually calls to account the certainties, the ambitions and rational foundations of The Enlightenment and the idealized versions of law and politics that they have produced.