Community development is routinely invoked as a practical solution to tackle a myriad of social problems, even though there is little consensus about its meaning and purpose. Through a comparative analysis of competing perspectives on community development since 1968, this book critically examines the contradictory ideas and practices that have shaped this field in the US and the UK. This approach exposes a problematic politics that have far-reaching consequences for those committed to working for social justice. This accessible book offers an alternative model for thinking about the politics of community development and so will appeal to academics, postgraduate students and community development workers.