Traditions of Australian governance

Authors: Wanna J.¹; Weller P.¹

Source: Public Administration, Volume 81, Number 1, March 2003 , pp. 63-94(32)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

Australia's traditions of governance tend to be pragmatic and to blend different ideologies. Its traditions are less dependent on political party ideologies, and more on competing conceptions of the significant problems and the way that they should be addressed. In this article we identify five principal traditions, namely: settler–state developmentalism; civilizing capitalism; the development of a social–liberal constitutional tradition; traditions of federalism; and the exclusiveness/ inclusiveness of the state and society. These traditions have been robust and have developed over time. We show how political actors operating from within this plurality of traditions have understood the public sector and how their understandings have led to changes in the way the public sector is structured.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/1467-9299.00337

Affiliations: 1: Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

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