The Prefect in French Public Administration (1976) examines the unique and theoretically powerful position of the Prefect in French local administration, concentrating on the period 1959–1975, the years of the Fifth Republic. It looks at the position of the Prefect and the attempts of governments to reform the prefectoral system. It places the Prefects in their historical context and illustrates how reforms have sought to adapt the Prefect’s role to changing economic, social and political circumstances. It also describes the daily work of the Prefects, and their economic role, and their collaborators in local government.