Glory Daze: How a world-beating nation got so down on itself

Description

Why does Australia, a nation with one of the world's best economies, have such a dim view of its own performance? Why does it see itself as worse off than some of the basket-case economies of southern Europe? How did a country that was smart enough to avoid recession and mass unemployment despite a global meltdown get so down on itself? In Glory Daze Jim Chalmers argues that the combination of hyper-partisanship and self-serving incentives in politics have resulted in a deficit of national self-esteem. This insider account provides a unique perspective on national identity. Chalmers concludes that unless a stop is put to the poisonous politics of recent years, Australia runs the risk of squandering existing national advantages and compromising our ability to tackle the challenges of the future.

Jim Chalmers is the Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, following a long stint as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Wayne Swan. He has worked for the federal Labor Party in various senior roles for more than a decade, and was a key adviser from the first day of the Rudd Government in 2007 until his departure from the Gillard Government in early 2013. Dr Chalmers has also been a senior aide to Kim Beazley and Morris Iemma, and National Research Manager for the Australian Labor Party. He has a first class honours degree in public policy from Griffith University and a PhD in political science and international relations from the Australian National University. He lives and works in Logan City to the south of Brisbane, Queensland.