First published in 1936, this book by E. L. Hasluck provides a contemporary account of how local government functioned in England before the Second World War. Hasluck outlines the main features of the local government system and discusses some of the issues and controversies that it faces. He seeks to portray the 'hypothetical elector' and the 'hypothetical officials' as real people, giving a realistic sense of day-to-day government. This book will be valuable to political historians and interesting to those who wish to illuminate their understanding of contemporary local government by discovering its roots.