Contesting the Australian Way: States, Markets and Civil Society

Description

Since the 1980s public policy has been perceived as being in a crisis of uncertainty. Many argue that consolidating the market imperative in both economic and social policy is the way out of this crisis. In this book, a leading group of writers challenge this view, calling for reassertion of a 'mixed' rather than a 'market' economy and a reaffirmation of the egalitarianism that has characterised past Australian social policy. The book confronts key issues of our time, particularly rising inequality and unemployment. Attempting to look beyond familiar debates about economic rationalism, it discusses the role of industry policy, the impact of globalisation, and the usefulness of competition models in the public, welfare, and community sectors. Asking whether economic and social policy can be reintegrated in a shared vision, this groundbreaking book argues the case for reinventing government rather than marginalising 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