4. Political Institutions and Policy in Australia

This chapter explains the political institutions of Australia for readers unfamiliar with the system. It runs through the nature of the executive as a prime ministerial system, the characteristics of Australian federalism, the bicameral legislature and the electoral system, and the role of the opposition in parliament. It then explains the nature of the public service and gives a brief account of society in Australia. It gives an overview of policy in Australia – organized by the prime minister, from Robert Menzies to Tony Abbott – running through the major legislative changes that have taken place. It discusses how we might infer an agenda from the nature of political change at the executive level, from turning points to relative stability.