Publisher description

Australian Government and Politics is the most up-to-date, comprehensive and authoritative introductory text on the Australian political system. Solidly based in current research, Australian Government and Politics provides a firm understanding of the way the institutions and actors of liberal democracy are constituted and function in Australia. It is an authoritative guide to the structure and institutions of Australian government; political ideas and political parties; elections and representation; the media and interest groups; and the making of public policy. This textbook also innovates in a number of ways, including a strong comparative focus throughout, and a dedicated emphasis on Indigenous politics and policy issues. This a new textbook which offers a fresh approach to the study of Australian politics, and introduces a new range of scholarly voices to the next generation of students. FEATURES AND BENEFITS: * Comprehensive analysis of liberal democracy * Coverage of indigenous politics and policy * Comparisions to international political systems * Discussion of non-voting forms of participation in the political process * An introduction to the nature of public policy making and implementation * Evaluation of the government's response to environmental challenges

A diverse range of experts provide a comprehensive introduction to current theories, debates and research in Australian political science.

This book offers a general introduction to and analysis of the history, theory and public policy of Australian local government systems. Conceived in an international comparative context and primarily from within the discipline of political studies, it also incorporates elements of economics and public administration. Existing research tends to conceptualise Australian local government as an element of public policy grounded in an 'administrative science' approach. A feature of this approach is that generally normative considerations form only a latent element of the discussions, which is invariably anchored in debates about institutional design rather than the normative defensibility of local government. The book addresses this point by providing an account of the terrain of theoretical debate alongside salient themes in public policy.

The global political environment in the twenty-first century is proving dynamic and challenging for Australian policymakers and political institutions. Australian Politics in the Twenty-first Century contextualises the Australian political landscape through an institutional lens. It examines the legislative and judicial bodies, minor parties, lobby groups, the media and the citizenry, providing historical and contemporary facts, explaining political issues and examining new challenges. The second edition has been updated to reflect the application of political theories in today's civic environment. New spotlight boxes highlight issues including marriage equality, COVID-19 and federalism, the inclusion of First Nations peoples in the political system, and gender equality in public policy. Short-answer, reflection, research and discussion questions encourage students to test and extend their knowledge of each topic and to clearly link theory to practice. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Australian Politics in the Twenty-First Century is an invaluable introduction to the Australian political system.

This account of Australian political life and thought covers all aspects of national politics and Australian politics in regional, international and global contexts. It also takes full account of the colonial origins of Australian politics and includes entries on indigenous politics, frontier politics and settler societies.

The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics is a comprehensive collection that considers Australia's distinctive politics— both ancient and modern— at all levels and across many themes. It examines the factors that make Australian politics unique and interesting, while firmly placing these in the context of the nation's Indigenous and imported heritage and global engagement. The book presents an account of Australian politics that recognizes and celebrates its inherent diversity by taking a thematic approach in six parts. The first theme addresses Australia's unique inheritances, examining the development of its political culture in relation to the arrival of British colonists and their conflicts with First Nations peoples, as well as the resulting geopolitics. The second theme, improvization, focuses on Australia's political institutions and how they have evolved. Place-making is then considered to assess how geography, distance, Indigenous presence, and migration shape Australian politics. Recurrent dilemmas centres on a range of complex, political problems and their influence on contemporary political practice. Politics, policy, and public administration covers how Australia has been a world leader in some respects, and a laggard in others, when dealing with important policy challenges. The final theme, studying Australian politics, introduces some key areas in the study of Australian politics and identifies the strengths and shortcomings of the discipline. The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics is an opportunity for others to consider the nation's unique politics from the perspective of leading and emerging scholars, and to gain a strong sense of its imperfections, its enduring challenges, and its strengths.