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POIR1010 – Australian Politics in Global Context

2026 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Ian Tregenza
ian.tregenza@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
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:

  • ULO1: Articulate a sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • ULO2: Communicate in verbal and written form the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies that surround them
  • ULO3: Demonstrate familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australia political scene
  • ULO4: Use a sophisticated analytical vocabulary for better appreciating the most pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Quiz 20% No Week 4 Individual No Open AI
Major Essay 50% No 1 May Individual No Open AI
Portfolio-Based Assessment for Online Discussion forum 30% No 5 June Individual No Open AI

Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

This is a short, online multiple choice quiz that will test students' knowledge of the first three weeks of unit content.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate a sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • Communicate in verbal and written form the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies that surround them
  • Demonstrate familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australia political scene
  • Use a sophisticated analytical vocabulary for better appreciating the most pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 1 May
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

This is a 1800-word essay +/- 10%, with topics drawn from across the unit, which allows students to explore a research topic in depth
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate a sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • Communicate in verbal and written form the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies that surround them
  • Demonstrate familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australia political scene
  • Use a sophisticated analytical vocabulary for better appreciating the most pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

Portfolio-Based Assessment for Online Discussion forum

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: 5 June
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Students will select what is in their opinion their three best contributions to the online discussion board, along with a brief rationale for why they think these are the best. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate a sound understanding of the foundations of the Australian political system and its relationship to its global context
  • Communicate in verbal and written form the key features of Australia's main political institutions and the debates and controversies that surround them
  • Demonstrate familiarity with the main political ideologies and parties that are influential in the Australia political scene
  • Use a sophisticated analytical vocabulary for better appreciating the most pressing contemporary issues in Australian politics

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

 

The main readings will be from the textbook by Stewart Jackson et. al., (2022) Australian Politics in the Twenty-First Century: Old Institutions, New Challenges (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). The book can be purchased directly from Cambridge Online. The book can be purchased in physical or electronic form, which is slightly cheaper. Alternatively, the book can be purchased from the vaious online platforms that sell books. As there are only limited copies available in the library, students should order the book immediately so that they can start reading as soon as possible. In addition, there will be supplementary readings that will be available on ilearn. To get the best out of this unit it is essential that students read, think carefully about what they are reading, and come to tutorials prepared to discuss the readings.

Lectures: 11am-1pm Mondays. 29WW T1. Internal students are expected to attend lecture. Lectures will be recorded and available on Echo360 for external and OUA students.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook