Publisher's Synopsis
This work explores the relationship of the Prime Minister with the principal forces of the Australian political system since World War II. The subject is treated thematically, with each contributor discussing the Prime Minister's links with cabinet, the bureaucracy, the parliament, the party, the media, the electorate and the wider world. Two concluding chapters draw together the strands of the analysis: one asks to what extent the Australian Prime Minister has become an "American" president; the other draws broader conclusions about the nature of the Australian political system that are reflected in the office of Prime Minister.