Contesting the Australian Way: States, Markets and Civil Society

Description

Since the 1980s Australian public policy has been perceived as being in crisis. Many argue that consolidating the market imperative in economic and social policy is the solution. Here, a leading group of writers challenge this view, calling for reassertion of a "mixed" rather than a "market" economy, and for reaffirmation of the egalitarianism that has characterized past Australian social policy. Asking whether economic and social policy can be reintegrated in a shared vision, this groundbreaking book argues the case for reinventing government rather than marginalizing it.

"...this is a well-edited book, and its stated goal, to 'rethink the idea of a mixed economy.' (13), is of interest to a range of audiences. The editors deserve credit for maintaining thematic coherence across the book's fived sections and for keeping chapters to a manageable length for such a wide-ranging volume." Canadian Journal of Political Science