Students

POL 101 – Australian Politics in Global Context

2017 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Lloyd Cox
Contact via 98504096
W6A 423
Tuesday 2-4
Lorna Barrow
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
In this unit, we introduce Australian politics through the lens of debates about globalisation and in so doing, we examine key Australian political institutions, ideologies and contemporary issues. We explore the ways in which they have been effected by, and have also filtered the effects of, accelerated globalisation. We ask: What is globalisation and how, if at all, has it blurred the boundaries between domestic and foreign policy issues? What is the nature of Australia's key political institutions (the Constitution, the High Court, Federalism, and Parliament), and are they democratic? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the main political ideologies? What are the key contemporary issues in Australia's political life (reconciliation, immigration, the war on terror, political information management), and is globalisation a sufficient or even a necessary explanation for understanding them?

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Minor Essay 20% Yes 29/03/2017
Major Essay 40% Yes 10/05/2017
Take Home Examination 40% Yes 9-11 June

Minor Essay

Due: 29/03/2017
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

In this first essay, students will have an opportunity to explore one of the key Australian political institutions that we deal with in the early weeks of the unit. Students should submit their essay electronically to lloyd.cox@mq.edu.au by midnight on Wednesday 29 March.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Major Essay

Due: 10/05/2017
Weighting: 40%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

The main essay will be 1500 words +/-10%, with essay topics to be distributed in week two of the unit. Students should submit their essay electronically to lloyd.cox@mq.edu.au by midnight on Wednesday 10 May


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Take Home Examination

Due: 9-11 June
Weighting: 40%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

The final, take home exam for external students will be put up on ilearn by 11.00am on Friday, 9 June. It will be composed of four short essay-type tasks of around 600 words each, drawn from material across the entire unit. These works should be referenced in the usual way. Students should submit their finished work direct to my email - lloyd.cox@mq.edu.au, by midnight on Sunday 11 June. The exam should be sent as one file, not four. This file should be labelled with your name and POL 101 Final exam.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Delivery and Resources

Australian Politics in Global Context

Welcome to POL 101, Australian Politics in Global Context.  Australian politics has undergone rapid change over the past three decades. The relative stability of the post-war era has given way to a political and social landscape of accelerated transformation. Previously taken-for-granted values are challenged, once stable institutions are destabilised, and the very idea of an Australian political community (what it is, who it encompasses, and the future directions it should take) is the subject of fierce controversy. These political tremors have been expressed most acutely in the rise of and subsequent challenges to multiculturalism, and in the neo-liberal restructuring of key Australian institutions, with an attendant growth of inequality.

In this course, we introduce Australian politics through the lens of debates about globalization and its consequences for state capacities, sovereignty and decision-making. In so doing, we examine key political institutions, ideologies and contemporary issues. We explore the ways in which they been affected by, and have also filtered the effects of, accelerated globalization. Among other questions, we ask: what is globalization and how, if at all, has it blurred the boundaries between ‘domestic’ and ‘foreign’ policy issues; what is the nature of Australia’s key political institutions, and do they ensure a high degree of democratic participation and accountability in a global era; what are the strengths and weaknesses of the main political ideas that inform public debate in this country, and how are they expressed in political struggle between the main parties?

In trying to answer these questions, we will follow readings from the prescribed text book quite closely. Hence it is essential for all students to purchase a copy from the university bookshop:

Narelle Miragliotta, Wayne Errington and Nicholas Barry (2013)The Australian Political System in Action (2nd edn.) South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

To do well in this unit it is imperative that students listen to all lectures and engage with reading material including the political press. Beyond the prescribed text, I will also be recommending additional supplementary readings as we go. Students will also find the following resources useful:

 

Useful General Texts and Background Reading on Australian Politics

Aulich, C. & Wettenhall, R. (eds.) (2005) Howard’s Second and Third Term Governments. Sydney: UNSW Press.

Frankel, B. (2004) Zombies, Lilliputians and Sadists: The Power of the Living Dead and the Future of Australia. Fremantle: Curtin University Press.

Hirst, J. (2002) Australia’s Democracy: A Short History. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Irving, H. (2004) Five Things to Know About the Constitution. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 92-107.

Maddox, G. (2005) Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, 5th edn. Melbourne: Longman.

Parkin, A., Summers, J. & Woodward, D. (eds.) (2006) Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia 8th edn. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

Singleton, G. (ed.) (2000) The Howard Government: Australian Commonwealth Administration 1996-1998. Sydney: UNSW Press.

Singleton, G., Aitkin, D., Jinks, B. & Warhurst, J. (2006) Australian Political Institutions, 8th edn. Melbourne: Longman.

Smith, R. (2001) Australian Political Culture. Melbourne Longman.

Vromen, A. & Gelber, K. (2005) Powerscape: Contemporary Australian Political Practice. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Young, S. (2004) The Persuaders: Inside the Hidden Machine of Political Advertising. Melbourne: Pluto Press Australia.

 

USEFUL JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES

Arena

Australian Journal of Political Science

Australian Journal of Politics and History

Australian Journal of Political Economy

Australian Journal of Public Administration

Australian Journal of Social Issues

[Australian]Journal of Sociology

AQ: Journal of Contemporary Analysis

Griffith Review

Journal of Political Ideologies

The Monthly: Australian Politics, Society and Culture

Thesis Eleven

USEFUL WEBSITES

Macquarie University’s Politics subject site:

http://www.lib.mq.edu/resources/subject/politics

 

The Commonwealth parliamentary Library:

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/index.htm

 

The National Library of Australia:

http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/gov /

 

Elections data base website at the University of Western Australia:

http://elections.uwa.edu.au

 

NSW government website:

http://www.nsw.gov.au/government.asp

 

Australian Bureau of Statistics:

http://www.abs.goc.au/

 

ABC Online:

http://www.abc.net.au

 

Australian Policy Online:

http://www.apo.org.au/index.shtml

 

Australian Review of Public Affairs:

http://australianreview.net

 

Online Opinion

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au

 

New Matilda Magazine

www.newmatilda.com/home/default/.asp

 

The Whitlam Institute

http://www.whitlam.org/about

 

The Australia Institute

www.tai.org.au/

 

The Centre for Independent Studies

http://cis.org.au/

 

The Green Left Weekly

http://www.greenleft.org.au/

     

Unit Schedule

Lecture and Tutorial Outline

Week

Lecture Dates

Lecture Topics

Tutorial Topics

1

Feb 27

March 1

Introduction: Australian Politics and Globalization

Democracy and Inequality in Australia

Introduction

2

March 6

March 8

The Australian Constitution

The Constitution and the "Dismissal"

Was the Dismissal Constitutional?

3

March 13

March 15

Australian Federalism

Reforming Federalism: How and Why?

Federalism versus Centralism?

4

March 20

March 22

The Legislature

Whose Laws? Social Class and Political Lobbying

Can laws and decisions be bought?

5

March 27

March 29

The Executive, Secrecy and Refugees

In Class Test for internal students (hence no lecture), while first essay due for external students

The Executive and Australia's refugee policy

6

April 3

April 5

The Public Service

The Public Service and Economic Rationalism

Who does the Public Service serve?

7

April 10

April 12

The High Court

The High Court and Aboriginal Land Rights

Mabo, Wik and the High Court

8

May 1

May 3

 

The Electoral System

No Place for Amateurs: The Professionalization of Australian Politics

Professionalization and "dumbing down" in Australian Politics

 

9

May 8

May 10

Reading/Writing Week, no lecture

Reading/Writing Week, no lecture

No tutorials, but I will be available for consultation on essays, due on 10 May

 

 

10

May 15

May 17

The Australian Labor Party (History)

The Australian Labor Party (Today)

Is the ALP still a labour/workers party?

 

11

May 22

May 24

The Liberal Party (History)

The Liberal Party (Today)

Is the modern Liberal Party a "liberal" party?

12

May 29

May 31

The Greens and the Environment

Radical Political Movements

Can the environment flourish in a capitalist world?

13

June 5

June 7

Australia, US, Asia: Along the Domestic/Foreign Divide

Conclusion and preparation for exam (must attend)

Globalization and Australian Politics

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • A working knowledge of the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies surrounding them
  • Familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australian political scene
  • Development of an analytical vocabulary for better appreciating some of the more pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Assessment tasks

  • Minor Essay
  • Major Essay
  • Take Home Examination