Federation Under Strain: Australia 1972-1975
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Wear and tear with damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
At one of the most turbulent crossroads in Australian political history, Geoffrey Sawer's Federation Under Strain: Australia 1972-1975 delivers a rigorous and incisive account of the constitutional crises and federal tensions that threatened to fracture the nation's governmental fabric during the Whitlam era. This authoritative study chronicles the dramatic collision between Commonwealth and state powers, the landmark dismissal of the Gough Whitlam government in November 1975, and the profound stress tests endured by Australia's federal system during those three volatile years. Sawer, one of Australia's most distinguished constitutional lawyers and political scholars, argues with clarity and precision that the events of this period were not mere political theatre but a fundamental reckoning with the structural fault lines embedded within the Australian federation since its founding. Part of the Studies in Australian Federation series, this work combines meticulous legal analysis with accessible political narrative, making it an indispensable reference for anyone seeking to understand how democratic institutions respond — and at times bend — under the weight of partisan conflict and constitutional ambiguity. For students of Australian governance, this remains a landmark text that raises questions about power, legitimacy, and the resilience of federal democracy that are as urgent today as they were in 1975.
Author: Geoffrey Sawer
Format: Hardback
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Wear and tear with damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
At one of the most turbulent crossroads in Australian political history, Geoffrey Sawer's Federation Under Strain: Australia 1972-1975 delivers a rigorous and incisive account of the constitutional crises and federal tensions that threatened to fracture the nation's governmental fabric during the Whitlam era. This authoritative study chronicles the dramatic collision between Commonwealth and state powers, the landmark dismissal of the Gough Whitlam government in November 1975, and the profound stress tests endured by Australia's federal system during those three volatile years. Sawer, one of Australia's most distinguished constitutional lawyers and political scholars, argues with clarity and precision that the events of this period were not mere political theatre but a fundamental reckoning with the structural fault lines embedded within the Australian federation since its founding. Part of the Studies in Australian Federation series, this work combines meticulous legal analysis with accessible political narrative, making it an indispensable reference for anyone seeking to understand how democratic institutions respond — and at times bend — under the weight of partisan conflict and constitutional ambiguity. For students of Australian governance, this remains a landmark text that raises questions about power, legitimacy, and the resilience of federal democracy that are as urgent today as they were in 1975.