A provocative reassessment of the Australian constitution from the perspective of a political scientist.

Tables and figures; Preface; Introduction; 1. A federal republic; 2. Federal theory and Australian federalism; 3. The Senate and responsible government; 4. Labor and the federal constitution; 5. The referendum process; 6. The protection of rights; 7. Federalism and the High Court; 8. Intergovernmental relations and new federalism; 9. Fiscal federalism; 10. Towards 2001 and beyond; Bibliography; Index.