Federalism

Abstract

Australia is one of the four ‘first generation’ federations (Fleiner-Gerster 1992, 14) and federalism has been one of the main features of Australian government as well as a significant factor in Australian politics for over a century now. The academic study of federalism got underway in Australia in the 1930s (see Portus 1933) and picked up speed at mid-century. Australian scholars have made notable contributions to the study of comparative federalism. A good part of the running on Australian federalism, it must be acknowledged though, has been done by those based in other disciplines, particularly constitutional law and economics. Five of the seven contributors to a 1975 special issue of Publius devoted to Australian federalism, for instance, were economists and only one a political scientist.