"...An interesting new twist on the debate...[Johnston and Pattie] suggest that the poverty of local campaigns is as much a symptom as a cause of democratic malaise, and that while more money would help increase contact between parties and voters, it is not a simple solution to political disengagement." LSE Review of Books Blog “A timely and forensic examination of ... Read moreone of the hidden corners of the British political system which raises key practical and normative questions about how we do and should pay for democratic politics.” Colin Rallings, Professor of Politics, University of Plymouth “Debates about political finance are ones that frequently generate much more heat than light. Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie’s rigorous empirical study exposes myths and provides a genuine advance in our understanding of this important area.” Justin Fisher, Professor of Political Science, Brunel University Show Less