An Introduction to the Special Issue – The Big Society, Localism and Housing Policy: Recasting State–Citizen Relations in an Age of Austerity

“The Big Society, Localism and Housing Policy” was the theme of a seminar series funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (2012–2014) in the UK. A collaborative venture between the Universities of St Andrews, Sheffield, Reading and Queen’s University Belfast – it brought together academics, policy-makers and practitioners from across the UK to critique contemporary political debates within the context of devolved policy-making in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The papers in this special issue emerged from that seminar series. Whilst the policy discussions that follow are very much UK focused, the wider narratives around localism, empowerment, citizenship and welfare reform have a much broader international relevance as this editorial introduction explains.