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An attempt is made to analyze the reorganization of local government, perceiving it as a general phenomenon in the modern state. While occurring in most developing societies, the reforms at the subnational level do not appear to have followed a common pattern; they have been introduced & combined in different ways. Accordingly, two main questions are asked: Why have so many developed societies gone through some kind of reorganization? Why has the organization taken place at different stages & in different forms? A general, but unsatisfactory, answer is that this trend reflects the expanison of the public sector. A more specific answer requires a differentiation between (1) various categories of reform, (2) different stages in the development of the welfare state, & (3) varying ideological perspectives. A structural approach is illustrated through a description of the reorganization process in Norway & Sweden. 50 References. HA

How democratic are the political parties in Norway? We use survey data from Norwegian party members (1991 and 2000) and Congress delegates (2000-1) to discuss two main questions: how do party members and Congress delegates evaluate the state of intra-party democracy? And what kind of intra-party democracy do they prefer? The analyses do not support the thesis of an increasing centralization of party decision making. Members were reasonably satisfied with the leadership, but those in positions of power were more satisfied than the grassroots. Participants at all levels preferred the present delegatory type of democracy to more direct democratic procedures. The attitudes of the participants do not indicate any strong pressure for organizational change, but declining membership and lack of legitimacy may still bring changes to intra-party decision-making.

Few countries in the industrialized West are more energy directed than Norway. Whereas most nations have paid particular attention to the relationship between their economic growth and the consumption of energy, Norway has to a high degree based her industrialization and economic growth on the exploitation of indigenous energy resources. Therefore, establishing principles of developing and using energy resources has been an important political topic in Norway since industrialization gathered headway near the turn of the century.