Community structure and leadership structure : A comparative analysis of 39 communities

Two previous research efforts (Clark 1971; and Grimes, Bonjean and Lineberry 1972) in the field of community politics were compared and then partially replicated employing the same statistical procedures used in the original papers. The major findings of both studies were confirmed with significant correlations found between population size and decentralization of community leadership. In general, however, it was concluded that demographic- ecological variables are not efficient predictors of the structure of community leadership and perhaps have been given too much emphasis in previous community power research. The best predictor of leadership structure was the one nondemographic-ecological variable used in this analysis-- Lineberry and Fowler's index of reformism. A consistent negative association between the dimensions of reformism and leadership decentralization was found.