Australia is one of the world’s oldest liberal democracies. This course explores this stability and change dynamic through an examination of two key themes: (1) the values, attitudes and behaviour of citizens, policymakers and other important actors; and (2) the cleavages and institutions that attempt to manage them. It examines how factors such as identity and views on the role of government drive political attitudes and behaviour, and considers how these have been changing over time. Through the framing of the role of government, major historical and contemporary political debates in Australia will be covered, including taxation, social security, health care, education, migration, economic policy, and the outcomes and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This course also dedicates attention to formal political institutions, paying particular attention to the constitution, institutions of government (e.g. High Court, Parliament, federalism, and the Australian Public Service), and electoral competition. We will also compare Australia to other advanced democracies, in order to shed light on what factors make Australia distinct and how Australia compares to its international peers.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate knowledge of Australian politics: both its institutions and citizen attitudes/behaviour;
- critically analyse the structure and dynamics of Australian institutions and citizen attitudes/behaviour;
- apply the various analytical frameworks of political science to Australian politics;
- be able to place Australian politics in comparative perspective by making reference to other advanced democracies; and
- have developed their research, writing, and verbal presentation skills.
Indicative Assessment
- Typical assessment may include, but is not restricted to: exams, assignments, quizzes, presentations, participation and other assessment as appropriate. See class summary for final details for 2025. (100) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of workshops over 12 weeks; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
To be announced on Wattle.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4095 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |