Pivot of Power

The prime ministership remains the main prize in Australian politics, but it is a precarious one. Leadership turnover in recent years has seen more prime ministers rise and fall than at any time since the decade after federation. What explains this volatility?

The Pivot of Power is the second volume in a unique blend of collective biography and institutional history that shows the skills, limitations and passions of incumbents are only part of the story. The ways in which prime ministers thrive and fail are influenced by the resources at their command, the evolving nature of the parties they lead, the daunting public expectations they face, and the challenges history throws at them. Changes in these areas are now more destabilising than ever.

After decades of strong prime-ministerial leadership, the office has rarely seemed quite so confounding as it does for its contemporary holders but The Pivot of Power suggests it does not have to be this way.

About the Author

Paul Strangio is Associate Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University. A political historian and biographer, he has written extensively about political leadership and political parties in Australia. One of his recent books is Neither Power Nor Glory: 100 Years of Political Labor in Victoria, 1856-1956 (2012). Paul has also been a long-time commentator on Australian politics in the print and electronic media.

Paul 't Hart is Professor of Public Administration, Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. A former professor of political science at the Australian National University, since 2007 Paul has been a core faculty member of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He writes about political and public service leadership, crisis management, policy evaluation and public accountability. His latest book is Understanding Public Leadership (2014).

James Walter is Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has published widely on biography, political psychology, leadership, political thought and policy deliberation. His recent books include, Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance: Comparative Perspectives (2013), with Paul Strangio and Paul 't Hart) and What Were They Thinking? The Politics of Ideas in Australia (2010).