Australian Politics in Global Context

• Topics

  • Part One (weeks 1-3) covers important political developments in Australian since Federation
  • Part 1: WWI, the Great Depression, WWII
  • Part 1: The Dismissal, and politics since the neo-liberal era of the late-1970s onwards
  • Part Two (weeks 4-9) explores Australia's institutions
  • Part 2: The Australian Constitution, the High Court, and Federalism
  • Part 2: The Executive and Parliament
  • Part 2: Australia's political parties
  • Part 2: Ideas and ideologies supporting and sustaining these institutions
  • Part Three (weeks 10-13) critically evaluates the major debates, issues, and interests of Australian politics and society in a global context
  • Part 3: The impacts of economic crisis
  • Part 3: Neo-liberalism
  • Part 3: Globalisation
  • Part 3: Environmentalism
  • Part 3: `Americanization'

• Study resources

  • Instructional Methods

    • Disscusion forum/Discussion Board
    • Online assignment submission
    • Standard Media

  • Online Materials

    • Resources and Links

Entry Requirements

Equivalent Subjects

You cannot enrol in this unit if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• MAQ-PLT110

Others

If you have no prior university experience, you should complete BAR100 Academic Learning Skills or COM10006 Academic Literacies: Learning and Communication Practice before starting this subject.

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject was previously known as PLT110 Australian Politics in Global Context.

In this subject, we critically assess Australian politics from the perspective of political and economic history, through the lens of social power and financial interests, and drilling down into contemporary debates about economic crisis, globalisation, nationalism, environmental catastrophe and war. With this approach in mind, we examine key Australian political institutions, ideologies, and issues.  What is the nature of Australia’s key political institutions (the Constitution, the High Court, Federalism, Government and Parliament), and are they democratic and just? Could we live without them?  What are some of the radical critiques of these institutions and the interests they serve?  What is ‘Australia’, after all – a unified nation of peoples with shared identities and interests, or a construct that serves wealth and power by masking deep social fractures, or something else again?  These questions should be seen as an entrée to Australian politics before embarking on the more in-depth companion subject, Contemporary Issues in Australian Politics, POIX201.

• Assignment 1 - Reading Critique (10%)
• Assignment 2 - Minor Essay (30%)
• Assignment 3 - Major Essay (45%)
• Assignment 4 - Participation (15%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.