ABSTRACT
In part two I explored the impact of the economy and ideology on central government activity and used ‘network’ theories as a framework to discuss the interaction between central government and the local authority. The empirical research focused on the interaction between Hackney Council and the GoL to explore how structures have impacted on the development of local housing policy. It showed how competition has placed significant strains upon actors and that the opportunities to initiate and shape policy have been curtailed. While these structures constrain actors, there are instances where actors have been able to affect policy through mediation and mobilisation. The issues are developed in more detail in part three, where the focus of the research concentrates on the actions of local agents and their interpretation of policy developments.
