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Constitutional conventions precede law and make law making possible, but attempting to define them is politically risky yet increasingly necessary.
List of contents
Introduction Brian Galligan and Scott Brenton; 1. Constitutional conventions Brian Galligan and Scott Brenton; 2. Law and convention Nicholas Aroney; 3. Executive conventions Brian Galligan; 4. Cabinet government Patrick Weller; 5. Caretaker conventions Jenny Menzies and Anne Tiernan; 6. Minority and multi-party government Scott Brenton; 7. Parliament J. R. Nethercote; 8. Upper houses Campbell Sharman; 9. The United Kingdom Robert Hazell; 10. Canada Andrew C. Banfield; 11. Australia Nicholas Barry and Narelle Miragliotta; 12. New Zealand Grant Duncan; 13. Codifying conventions Peter H. Russell; 14. Constitutional reform Andrew Blick; Conclusion Brian Galligan and Scott Brenton.
About the author
Brian Galligan is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Melbourne. He is the author or co-author of eight books on Australian politics and political economy, including: Beyond the Protective State (1992), A Federal Republic (1995), Citizens without Rights (1997) and Australians and Globalisation (2001). He is joint author of Australian Citizenship (2004) and Becoming Australian (2014) and co-editor of The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics (2007) and Human Rights in Asia (2011).Scott Brenton is a Lecturer in Political Science and the Director of the Doctoral Academy at the Melbourne School of Government. He has published extensively on Australian politics, particularly on altering traditional forms of governance and challenging, or rather adapting, existing conventions. He has contributed to several major Australian Research Council projects, including the Parliamentary Accountability Project, the Democratic Audit of Australia and Strengthening Parliamentary Institutions.
Summary
Electoral volatility and the rise of new political players are challenging constitutional conventions - crucial 'rules' of politics - in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This book explains the significance of conventions and how they are being applied and adapted to meet these challenges.
