Big data and microtargeting steal the headlines about campaigning. But how important are they really to the way that political parties campaign? This book provides a fine-grained account of the campaign practices of three Australian political parties. It explores how prevalent data-driven campaigning is, introduces an original theoretical framework to understand these practices, and demonstrates that there is a disconnect between what Australian voters think about these issues and the way that parties campaign in the 21st century. Drawing on 161 interviews, participant observation and original survey data, it shows that the reality of contemporary campaigning is often different to what we are led to believe.

Political Branding Strategies tells the story of branding by the Australian Labor Party across seven years and three brands – Kevin07, The Real Julia and that of the party. Employing a new framework to understand and evaluate branding, the book offers lessons for practitioners, researchers and citizens in democracies everywhere.

The first comprehensive volume on the impact of digital media on Australian politics, this book examines the way these technologies shape political communication, alter key public and private institutions, and serve as the new arena in which discursive and expressive political life is performed. -- Publisher's description.

This book provides a truly comprehensive analysis of the 2013 federal election in Australia, which brought the conservative Abbott government to power, consigned the fractious Labor Party to the Opposition benches and ended the ‘hung parliament’ experiment of 2010–13 in which the Greens and three independents lent their support to form a minority Labor government. It charts the dynamics of this significant election and the twists and turns of the campaign itself against a backdrop of a very tumultuous period in Australian politics. Like the earlier federal election of 2010, the election of 2013 was an exercise in bipolar adversarial politics and was bitterly fought by the main protagonists. It was also characterised (again) by leadership changes on Labor’s side as well as the entry of new political parties anxious to deny the major parties a clear mandate. Moreover, the 2013 election continued the trend whereby an increasing proportion of the electorate has chosen not to vote for one of the main two political parties. While the 2013 election delivered a clear victory to the Coalition in the Lower House, it simultaneously produced a much more mixed outcome in the Senate, where the Greens managed to record their largest ever representation and a new party, the Palmer United Party, initially secured three Senate positions at its first attempt (together with the election of Clive Palmer to a Queensland seat in the House of Representatives). With minor and micro parties also winning Senate seats amounting to a total of 18 Senators on the cross-benches, the Abbott government’s ability to govern and pass legislation was placed in some doubt. The 2013 election result suggested that far from ending the preceding tumultuous period of Australian politics, it merely served to prolong this era indefinitely. The 2013 campaign was one of the longest on record, arguably commencing when the besieged Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the date for the election in late January 2013 – then over seven months away. This unconventional tactic overshadowed the election from that date onwards – providing a definite timeline for Labor infighting, influencing the largely negative tactics of the Opposition, and encouraging new parties to proliferate to contest the election. This volume traces these formative influences on the campaign dynamics and explains the electoral outcome that occurred (including the 2014 re-election for the Western Australian Senate seats ordered by the High Court). Abbott’s Gambit includes insightful contributions from academic experts, campaign directors and electoral watchers, political advisers and professional psephologists. Contributors utilise a wide range of sources and approaches, including the Australian Election Survey, to provide a detailed analysis of this important federal election.

Created especially for the Australian customer! Understand the Australian political system and make your vote count Get to grips with the good, the bad and the ugly of Australian politics! Whether you're a seasoned political punter or a voting novice, this is your essential guide to understanding politics in Australia. Master the ins and outs of elections, parties and policies, and learn to discuss the big issues in no time. You have to vote — now learn whyand how. Decipher political terminology — clear explanations of the houses of parliament, voting systems and more Learn how Australia's political system evolved — how Westminster and Washington were combined to produce 'Washminster' Appreciate parliamentary roles — what the Whips do and just what the Usher of the Black Rod is Find out who holds the purse strings — how federal and state governments work out who pays for what Understand how political parties work — the differences between Labor and Liberal, and what coalition politics is Discover what's meant by the balance of power — how minor parties and independents contribute to politics Determine how your vote is counted — the difference between preferential voting and proportional representation Work out the media's role — how the media reports, interprets and sways political outcomes Open the book and find: Key points about past and current political hot topics Explanations of the Australian Constitution, including the crisis of 1975 Plans of the houses of parliament so you know who sits where Analysis of how the major Australian political parties came about A concise description of the electoral pendulum Graphic descriptions of the different ballot papers A comprehensive glossary of political terms and jargon Learn to: Identify what makes the Australianpolitical system tick Distinguish between the differentpolitical parties Understand the influence of the media in Australian politics Cast your vote with confidence

Government and Politics in Australia 10e is the comprehensive and scholarly political science text that provides thorough and accessible content written by authorities in the field. Now in its 10th edition, Government and Politics in Australia continues to provide students with a research-based, in-depth contemporary introduction to the Australian political system. A strengthened focus on government and politics ensures that this classic text remains the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the structure and institutions of Australian government, as well as political parties, representation, interest groups and the role of the media in Australian politics. The 10th edition has been thoroughly revised and updated by experts in the field led by a new editor team and includes a completely new chapter on Australia in the world.

This book, the 17th in the federal election series and the ninth sponsored by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, provides a comprehensive account of the 2019 Australian election, which resulted in the surprise victory of the Coalition under Scott Morrison. It brings together 36 contributors who analyse voter behaviour, campaign strategies, regional variations, polling, ideology, media and the new importance of memes and digital campaigning. Morrison’s victory underlined the continuing trend toward the personalisation of politics and the loss of trust in political institutions, both in Australia and across western democracies. Morrison’s Miracle is indispensable for understanding the May 2019 Coalition victory, which surprised many observers and confounded pollsters and political pundits.