THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES
FACULTY OF ARTS
POLS10001
Australian Politics
Subject Guide
Semester One, 2013
The website for this subject is available through the Learning Management
System (LMS) at: http://www.lms.unimelb.edu.au/login/
The LMS is an important source of information for this subject. Useful
resources such as lecture / seminar notes, and subject announcements will
be available through the website.
It is your responsibility to regularly check in with the LMS for subject
announcements and updates.
You will require a university email account (username and password) to
access the Learning Management System. You can activate your university
email account at: https://accounts.unimelb.edu.au/manage
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Contents
Teaching Staff
4
Subject Overview
5
Learning Objectives
5
Subject Structure
6
Class Registration - Tutorials
7
Textbook and other readings
7
Lecture and tutorial program at a glance
8
Detailed Lecture / Tutorial Program and Readings
9
Attendance / Participation Requirements
24
Assessment details and requirements
25
Grading System
29
Submission and Extension policies
30
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Teaching Staff
Subject Coordinator:
Professor John Murphy
Brief Profile:
John is a professor in the School of Social and Political Sciences. His research interests include
Australian political and social history. He has written books on Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam
War, on the political culture of the 1950s Cold War in Australia, and on the development of Australian
welfare policies from 1870 to 1949.
He has been engaged in large-scale interview projects with colleagues, which have resulted in books
about the experiences of people who grew up in institutional care in Australia, and about the
experiences of people today who receive welfare benefits. His most recent publication is an article about
Aboriginal exclusion from, and then gradual inclusion in, welfare benefits.
Office Location:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Consultation hours:
RM 407, West Tower, Medley Building
8344 3670
9347 7731
john.murphy1@unimelb.edu.au
Thursday 3.00 to 5.00 by appointment via email
Guest lecturers:
Professor Brian Galligan, School of Social and Political Sciences
http://www.ssps.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/profiles/galligan
Petro Georgiou, former Liberal MHR, Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne
http://musse.unimelb.edu.au/may-11-61/petro-georgiou-appointed-vice-chancellor’s-fellow
Nick Reece, former ALP political advisor (Bracks, Brumby and Gillard) and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow,
School of Social and Political Sciences
http://www.ssps.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/profiles/nicholas_reece
Associate Professor Sally Young, School of Social and Political Sciences
http://www.ssps.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/profiles/syoung
Tutors:
Contact details for the tutors are available in the LMS.
Bronwyn Hinz
Samantha Jones
Tracey Pahor – head tutor
Rhys Stephens
Gonzalo Villaneuva
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Subject Overview
This subject is an introduction to contemporary Australian politics with an emphasis on what makes
Australia unique and how Australia compares internationally. Australian political culture is explored
through current political issues, debates, elections and campaigns. The foundations of Australian
democracy and the constitutional framework are unpacked and the institutions of Parliament, the High
Court and the bureaucracy are explained.
A range of key actors including the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, political parties, lobbyists,
interest groups, social movements, and the media are encountered.
Students will be introduced to a range of theories, concepts and ideas relevant for further study in
Political Science and Public Policy, along with practical applications of political research.
Previous student evaluations of this subject:
A previous version of this course was taught in 2012. The following are some of the ratings this subject
received from the Subject Experience Survey:
Question 1: ‘This subject was intellectually stimulating’ – 3.8 out of 5.
Question 4: ‘This subject was well taught’ – rating of 3.7 out of 5.
Question 6: ‘Overall, I was required to work at a high standard in this subject’ – 4.0 out of 5.
Learning Objectives
(ie what we hope you will learn from us)
Upon successful completion of this subject, students are expected to:
• be able to understand, explain and follow Australian Politics and develop the confidence to make
informed political decisions;
• have a solid understanding of the institutional structures of Australia's democracy and system of
government, and of the key actors in the political process;
• be aware of competing interpretations of Australia's political history, ideologies and ideas and be
able to critically analyse how these shape the thinking of the key actors and inform debates;
• be able to engage with contemporary political issues and debates;
• be able to argue a considered position in oral and written presentations;
• have developed a solid background for further studies and research in Political Science.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Subject Structure (ie the timetable)
You are required to attend a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial per week.
The subject timetable is as follows:
Day
Time
Location
12.00 to 2.00 pm
Charles Pearson Theatre, ERC
Lecture
Thursday
Map Reference J9 – Educational Resource Centre, Ground Floor.
Tutorials
you need to enrol in and attend one of the tutorials each week
Class Registration – Tutorials
You are required to Register into your tutorials before the commencement of semester by using the online class timetable tool in your Student Portal.
The ISIS team will provide you with further updates and information about Class Registration via the
Student Portal closer to the registration opening date for semester 1, 2013.
Textbook and other readings
All required readings for this subject are listed in this guide.
Copies of all required readings (other than the textbook) are available from the ‘Readings’ section of the
subject LMS site. (identified in this subject guide with an asterix *).
Required readings represent the minimum expected for you to participate effectively in class.
Further recommended readings are listed in this guide for deepening of your understanding of the
subject. You are encouraged to augment your understanding of the topics discussed by drawing on this
list.
In addition, it is expected that you will develop your own learning and knowledge through wider reading
and research, particularly with regard to completion of assessment items.
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The set text book for this subject is:
Ward, Ian & Stewart, Randal G. (2010),
Politics One, (4th edition) Melbourne,
Palgrave Macmillan
Multiple copies of this are available in the University Bookshop.
The same text book was used in 2012, so it should be available second-hand.
BUT if you are purchasing this book second-hand please make sure you have the latest (4th) edition.
Earlier editions are now well out of date.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Lecture and tutorial program at a glance
Lecture
date
Lecture 1st hour
Lecture 2nd hour
Tutorials
1
7 March
Introduction: The
nature of politics
Explanation of the
exercise
no tutorial
2
14 March
An outline of the
political system
Citizens’ engagement
and disengagement
The nature of politics
3
21 March
Parliamentary
democracy and its
discontents
Forming minority
governments (Nick
Reece)
An outline of the
political system: issues
of participation
4
28 March
Executive power and
Cabinet government
Representation,
delegation and direct
democracy
Parliamentary
democracy: issues of
compulsory participation
Easter break
5
11 April
Government and policymaking: the example of
pricing carbon (Nick
Reece)
Commentary – the policy
cycle
Executive power: issues
of representation or
direct democracy
6
18 April
Federalism and the
division of power
(Brian Galligan)
Debate on the decisionmaking exercise
Government and policymaking: issues of making
decisions
7
25 April
Anzac day University
holiday
no lectures
Federalism and the
division of power
8
2 May
The politics of the
Constitution and the
High Court (Brian
Galligan)
Review of the decisionmaking exercise
Workshop on Reflective
Essays
9
9 May
Parties and political
values: I
Loyalty, parties and
individual judgment
(Petro Georgiou)
The politics of the
Constitution and the
High Court
10
16 May
Parties and political
values: II
Political ideas & values
Parties and political
values
11
23 May
Politics and the media:
old and new (Sally
Young)
Managing the news (Nick
Reece)
Parties and political
values
12
30 May
The end of politics
The politics of the future
Media and politics and
Subject Review
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Detailed Lecture / Tutorial Program & Readings
Lectures will be conducted from 12.00 to 2.00 on Thursdays.
The first hour will consist of a formal presentation of key subject content. The second hour will be used
more flexibly; at times, it will consist of a second lecture, or debate and discussion about the
decision-making exercise, or discussion with guest speakers.
PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE DECIDED NOT TO RECORD LECTURES AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE
ONLINE; YOU ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND LECTURES.
POWERPOINT SLIDES FROM THE LECTURES WILL BE POSTED ON THE LMS.
Reading identified for each week consists of:
1.
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
chapters from the textbook (Ward and Stewart, Politics One), and/or
additional readings providing online through the LMS (identified with an asterix *)
2.
further Recommended Reading which is designed to deepen your understanding of these
issues in preparation for your assessment tasks – I have added notes about which of these are
more advanced.
Please note that the tutorial program runs one week behind the lecture program. Consequently,
tutorial discussions (on Mondays, Tuesday or Wednesdays) are reflecting back to what
happened on Thursday of the previous week.
Tutorial QUESTIONS in the first 8 weeks of semester are devoted both to issues arising from the lecture
of the previous Thursday, and to engagement with the issues involved in the decision-making
exercise. The latter – questions to consider in the decision-making exercise – are in italics.
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Week One Lectures (7 March):
Introduction: the nature of politics
1. Lectures: (John Murphy)
We will cover two issues in these first two lectures:
1. an introduction to arguments about the nature of politics and a discussion of some of the key
terms in the language of politics, including citizenship, a polity, civil society, the state,
sovereignty and democracy, and
2. a detailed discussion about the decision-making exercise which students will engage with as part
of this subject (see Assessment Task Four below).
There are no tutorials in the first week of semester.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Billboard, Northcote, July 2011
--------------------------------------------
Week Two Lectures (14 March):
An outline of the political system
Lectures:
1.
2.
An outline of the political system (John Murphy)
Patterns of citizens’ engagement and disengagement (John Murphy)
Week Two Tutorials (11, 12 or 13 March)
Introduction: the nature of politics
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
* Graham Maddox, Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, Pearson Longman, French’s
Forest, 1996, chapter 1: “The nature of politics”.
Tutorial questions:
What is Maddox’ point about Aristotle’s statement that a human being is “a political animal”. Is this as
relevant today as it was in Aristotle’s time?
In what ways is Maddox arguing that politics is not only about the political system or politicians and
institutions?
What is this thing called “the state”?
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Should participation in tutorial discussions be assessed? What happens to a discussion when only some
participate?
What might be the reasons why some participate more than others? Is assessing tutorial participation
potentially discriminatory?
What, if any, are the parallels between these issues and participation or disengagement in a democracy?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012,
chapters 1: “Understanding political ideas” and 2: “Democracy and the state”.
Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political Institutions,
Pearson, Frenchs Forest, 2012, (10th edition) Chapters 1: “Politics and Democracy” and 2: “The
political culture of Australia’s political institutions.”
Queuing to vote, Soweto, South Africa, 1994
--------------------------------------------
Week Three Lectures (21 March):
Parliamentary democracy and its discontents
Lectures:
1. Parliamentary democracy and executive accountability (John Murphy)
2. Forming minority governments (Nick Reece)
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Three Tutorials (18, 19 or 20 march)
An outline of the political system
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 1: “Introduction”
Tutorial questions:
What is the expected relationship between a government and the parliament?
Does apathy matter in a democracy? Is disengagement from formal politics a form of protest?
What, if anything, is the difference between political apathy and political cynicism?
Is participation in civil society organisations a form of politics?
NOTE: these are (deliberately) the same questions as last week:
Should participation in tutorial discussions be assessed? What happens to a discussion when only some
participate?
What might be the reasons why some participate more than others? Is assessing tutorial participation
potentially discriminatory?
What, if any, are the parallels between these issues and participation or disengagement in a democracy?
Additional Recommended Reading:
* Ian McAllister, The Australian Voter: 50 Years of Change, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press,
2011, chapter 3: “Citizens’ Views of Politics”.
Judith Brett and Anthony Moran, Ordinary people’s politics: Australians talk about life, politics, and the
future of their country, Pluto, Sydney, 2006.
More advanced reading:
Aaron Martin, “Political Participation among the Young in Australia: Testing Dalton’s Good Citizen
Thesis”, The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 47, no. 2, 2012, pp. 211-226.
Sarah Maddison, “White Parliament, Black Politics: The Dilemmas of Indigenous Parliamentary
Representation,” The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 45, no. 4, 2010, pp. 663-680.
Aaron Martin, “Does Political Trust Matter? Examining some of the Implications of Low Levels of Political
Trust in Australia”, The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 45, no. 4, 2010, pp. 705-712.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Four Lectures (28 March):
Executive power and Cabinet government
Lectures:
1.
2.
The executive in parliamentary systems (John Murphy)
Representation, delegation and direct democracy (John Murphy)
Week Four Tutorials (25, 26 or 27 March)
Parliamentary democracy and its discontents
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 3: “Parliament”
Tutorial questions:
Where does sovereignty lie in the Australian political system?
What role does the Westminster theory of responsible government assign to parliament?
What do people mean when they compare a “Westminister system” with a “Washminster system”?
Why is voting compulsory in Australia? Would it be better if it was voluntary?
If only those who are interested take part in choosing who governs, would that lead to an elitist
outcome, or a higher quality outcome? Or both? Or would it make no difference?
What, if any, are the parallels between compulsory voting and compulsory participation in tutorial
discussions? What are the differences?
Who should get to decide? Only those who are interested? Anyone who is directly affected?
Should anyone be excluded from making this decision? Why or why not?
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Additional Recommended Reading:
Graham Maddox, Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, Pearson Longman, French’s Forest, 1996,
chapter 7: “Government, Parliament and Judiciary”.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012, chapter
5: “Parliament and accountability”.
Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political Institutions,
Pearson, Frenchs Forest, 2012, (10th edition) Chapter 5: “The Australian Parliament.”
More advanced reading:
Helen Pringle, “Compulsory Voting in Australia: What is Compulsory?”, The Australian Journal of
Political Science, vol. 47, no. 3, 2012, pp. 427-440.
Ian McAllister, The Australian Voter: 50 Years of Change, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press,
2011, chapter 1: “Electoral Institutions”.
***********************************************************
NON TEACHING PERIOD (Easter Break & UA Common Week)
Friday 29 March – Sunday 7 April
--------------------------------------------
Week Five Lectures (11 April):
Government and policy-making
Lectures:
1.
2.
Making policy: the example of carbon pricing (Nick Reece)
Commentary – the policy cycle (John Murphy)
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Five Tutorials (8, 9 or 10 March)
Executive power and Cabinet government
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 2: “Prime Minister and Cabinet”
* Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political
Institutions, Pearson, Frenchs Forest, 2012, (10th ed.), from Chapter 6: “Case Study: The Politics of
Replacing a Sitting Prime Minister”, pp. 222-224.
Tutorial questions:
What are the factors leading to Prime Ministers becoming more powerful over time?
Cabinet is not mentioned in the Constitution, yet it is the most powerful institution in our political
system. Why is it so powerful?
What skills would a good Prime Minister need to manage the Cabinet?
How precisely was Kevin Rudd toppled as Prime Minister? What does this episode say about
“responsible parliamentary government”?
What is “representation”?
What are the differences between representation, and delegation, and direct democracy?
The decision made must be binding on all students in the subject. Does your tutorial need to negotiate
with other tutorials on the decision-making exercise?
Do you need representatives and, if so, how will they be chosen and what discretion (if any) to make
decisions on your behalf will you give them?
Additional Recommended Reading:
* Graham Maddox, Australian Democracy in Theory and Practice, Pearson Longman, French’s Forest,
1996, chapter 12: “Representation”.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012, chapter
6: “Executive government and the public service”.
More advanced reading:
Peter Hamburger and Pat Weller, “Policy Advice and a Central Agency: The Department of Prime Minister
and Cabinet”, The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 47, no. 3, 2012, pp. 363-376.
Pat Weller, Cabinet Government in Australia, 1901-2006: Practice, Principles, Performance, Sydney,
University of New South Wales Press, 2007.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Six Lectures (18 April):
Federalism and the division of power
Lectures:
1. Australian federalism (Brian Galligan)
2. Proposed debate on the decision-making exercise
Week Six Tutorials (15, 16 or 17 April)
Government and policy-making
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
* Araidne Vromen and Katherine Gelber, Powerscape: Contemporary Australian Political Practice,
Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2005, chapter 5: “Policy Delivery”.
Tutorial questions:
How does the policy of a government typically move from being an idea to being legislated into law?
What steps were involved in putting a price on carbon pollution, both in terms of coming to an
agreement with the independents in the House of Representatives, and in terms of passing the
legislation through the parliament?
Is minority government a good thing? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
In deciding on whether tutorial participation will or will not be assessed, is a majority decision enough?
What happens to minority views? Do they need to be accommodated, or do they just have to bow
before the majority?
Does preferential voting help to overcome this problem?
To change the constitution in Australia requires a popular (and compulsory) vote and requires both a
majority of the Australian citizens, and a majority in a majority of the states. Does this provide a
model for decision-making in a “federation” of tutorials?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Brain Costar and Jennifer Curtin, Rebels with a cause: Independents in Australian politics, University of
New South Wales Press, Sydney, 2004.
Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political Institutions,
Pearson, French’s Forest, 2012, (10th edition) Chapters 7:”The Public Service” and 10: “Australia’s
political parties and independents in the Australian parliament”.
Marian Simms and John Wanna (eds), Julia 2012: The Caretaker Election, Canberra, ANU E-books, 2012.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Seven Lectures (25 April) Anzac Day public holiday
There will be no lecture - but note that tutorials will be held
Week Seven Tutorials (22, 23 or 24 April)
Federalism and the division of power
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 7: “Federalism and the states”
Tutorial questions:
What virtues are claimed for federalism? Is federalism a good check on centralised power, or is it a
broken and dysfunctional system?
Why has the Commonwealth government been able to expand its influence into different areas since
federation?
What mechanisms have been developed for negotiation between the Commonwealth and the States?
Do you need to investigate whether what is emerging from this decision-making process is “constitutional”
under the university’s rules and policies about assessment?
Which two of the issues previously covered in lectures, tutorials and your reading provide the most
illumination about the decision-making process?
What are the skills involved in convincing others of your view? What is political rhetoric and when is it a
good thing?
Who has power in this whole exercise?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political Institutions,
Pearson, French’s Forest, 2012, (10th ed.) Chapter 4: “The federal system”.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012, chapter
4: “Understanding Australian federalism”.
More advanced reading:
J.R. Nethercote (ed), Liberalism and the Australian Federation, Federation Press, Annandale, 2001.
Robyn Hollander, “John Howard, Economic Liberalism, Social Conservatism and Australian Federalism”,
Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol. 53, no. 1, 2008, pp. 85-103.
Brian Galligan, Comparative Federalism, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 2006.
Brian Galligan, “Processes for Reforming Australian federalism”, University of New South Wales Law
Review, vol. 31, no. 2, 2008, pp. 617-642.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Gabrielle Appleby, Nicholas Aroney and Thomas John (eds), The Future of Australian Federalism:
Comparative and Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Geoff Gallop, “What is the Future for Australian Federalism?” Public Policy, vol. 6, no. 1/2, 2011, pp. 3-8.
Robyn Hollander and Haig Patapan, “Pragmatic Federalism: Australian Federalism from Hawke to
Howard”, Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 280-297.
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Week Eight Lectures (2 May):
The politics of the Constitution and the High Court
Lectures:
1. The politics of the Constitution and the High Court (Brian Galligan)
2. Review of the decision-making exercise
Week Eight Tutorials (29, 30 April or 1 May)
The tutorials this week will focus on discussion of your Reflective Essays, which are due the following
Monday. We want in particular to draw out the sorts of use you are making of previous reading and
discussion to illuminate what has happened in this decision-making exercise.
As explained below under “Assessment Task Two” and “Assessment Task Four” your Reflective Essay
needs to draw on these issues to deepen your analysis of what has happened in class.
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Week Nine Lectures (9 May):
Parties and political values I
Lectures:
1. The party system I (John Murphy)
2. Loyalty, parties and individual judgment (Petro Georgiou)
Week Nine Tutorials (6, 7 or 8 May)
The politics of the Constitution and the High Court
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapters 5 “The Constitution” & 6: “The High Court”
* Gwynneth Singleton, Don Aitken, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst, Australia’s Political
Institutions, Pearson, French’s Forest, 2012, (10th edition), from Chapter 3: “Case Study:
The High Court decision on offshore processing of asylum seekers”, pp. 88-90.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Tutorial questions:
What have been the major changes in how the High Court has interpreted the Constitution since
Federation?
What are the relative roles in the idea of the separation of powers between the Executive, the Legislature
and the Judiciary? This separation is supposed to be a balancing act, preventing undue
concentration of power. Does it work?
What do critics mean by describing the High Court as engaging in “judicial activism”? Is this a fair
criticism, or are they just complaining about the appropriate operation of the separation of
powers?
Is the High Court a political institution?
What do we mean by saying that the High Court is starting to find (at least parts of) a Bill of Rights in
the Constitution?
Are there risks in having unelected judges interpret what elected politicians can and cannot do?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Helen Irving, Five Things to Know about the Australian Constitution, Cambridge, Cambridge University
Press, 2004.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012, chapter
7: “The judiciary”.
More advanced reading:
Nicholas Aroney, The Constitution of a Federal Commonwealth: The Making and Meaning of the
Australian Constitution, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Mathew Stubbs, “A Brief History of the Judicial Review of Legislation under the Australian Constitution”,
Federal Law Review, vol. 40, issue 2, 2012, pp. 227-252.
Haig Patapan, Judging Democracy: The New Politics of the High Court of Australia, Oakleigh, Cambridge
University Press, 2000.
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Week Ten Lectures (16 May):
Parties and political values II
Lectures:
1. The party system II (John Murphy)
2. Political ideas and values (John Murphy)
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Week Ten Tutorials (13, 14 or 15 May)
Parties and political values I
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 8: “The party system”
Tutorial questions:
What are the benefits of having a stable party system? What are the disadvantages?
What is the evidence for and against the idea that the major parties have “converged” and are really just
the same? Is this a valid criticism, or is it lazy thinking?
What does it mean to argue that we actually have “responsible party government” rather than
“responsible parliamentary government”?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Ian McAllister, The Australian Voter: 50 Years of Change, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press,
2011, chapters 2: “Party Loyalties” and 8: “Social Attitudes and Values”.
More advanced reading:
Tom Bramble and Rick Kuhn, “Continuity of Discontinuity in the Recent History of the Australian Labor
Party”, The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 44, no. 2, 2009, pp. 281-294.
David Charnock, “Can the Australian Greens Replace the Australian Democrats as a ‘Third Party’ in the
Senate?” The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 44, no. 2, 2009, pp. 245-258.
P. Loveday, A.W. Martin and R.S. Parker (eds), The Emergence of the Australian Party System, Hale and
Iremonger, Sydney, 1977.
Narelle Miragliotta, “Federalism, Party Organisation and the Australian Greens”, Australian Journal of
Politics and History, vol. 58, no. 1, 2012, pp. 97-111.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Scott Prasser and Graeme Starr (eds), Policy and Change: The Howard Mandate, Hale and Iremonger,
Sydney, 2001.
Robert Manne (ed), The Howard Years, Black Inc., Melbourne, 2004.
Week Eleven Lectures (23 May):
Politics and the media: old and new
Lectures:
1. New media and old politics (Sally Young)
2. Managing the news (Nick Reece)
Week Eleven Tutorials (20, 21 or 22 May)
Parties and political values II
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapters 9: “The Australian Labor Party” and 10: “The Liberals
and the Coalition”
Tutorial questions:
What are the core principles of liberalism? How has liberalism in Australia changed over time?
Are there issues on which liberalism is not conservative but progressive?
Is the ALP best characterised as a “labourist”, a “socialist”, a “social democratic” or a “liberal” party?
Where do the Greens lie in the contemporary political spectrum? Why?
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Additional Recommended Reading:
John Faulkner and Stuart Macintyre (eds), True Believers: The Story of the Federal Parliamentary Labor
Party, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2001.
Ross McMullin, The Light on the Hill: The Australian labor Party, 1891-1991, Oxford University Press,
Melbourne, 1991.
Alan Martin, Robert Menzies: A Life, (2 volumes), Melbourne University Press, Melbourne 1993 and 1999.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012,
chapters 9: “Progressive political parties” and 10: “Conservative political parties”.
Linda Courtenay Botterill and Geoff Cockfield (eds), The National Party: Prospects for the great survivors,
Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2009.
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Week Twelve Lectures (30 May):
The end of politics / the future of politics?
Lectures:
1 & 2: Politics of the future (John Murphy)
Week Twelve Tutorials (27, 28 or 29 May)
Politics and the media: old and new
Required Reading Preparation for tutorials:
Ward and Stewart, Politics One, chapter 12: “News media and news management”
Tutorial questions:
Do the big media organisations observe the political system, or are they participants in it?
How do political parties attempt to manage the media?
To what extent do you agree with Lindsay Tanner’s criticism that it is at least in part the media that has
“dumbed down” Australian politics?
How are the new media changing the circulation of political ideas and commentary?
Additional Recommended Reading:
Lindsay Tanner, Sideshow: dumbing down democracy, Melbourne, Scribe, 2011.
Martin Drum and John William Tate, Politics in Australia, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, 2012, chapter
12: “Media and politics”.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Sally Young, How Australia Decides: Election reporting and the media, Melbourne, Cambridge University
Press, 2010.
Ian McAllister, The Australian Voter: 50 Years of Change, Sydney, University of New South Wales Press,
2011, chapter 4: “The Election campaign”.
More advanced reading:
Will Grant and Brenda Moon, “Digital Dialogue? Australian Politicians’ use of the Social Network Tool
Twitter”, The Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 45, no. 4, 2010, pp. 579-604.
John Kane and Haig Patapan, “The Artless Art: Leadership and the Limits of Democratic Rhetoric”, The
Australian Journal of Political Science, vol. 45, no. 3, 2010, pp. 371-389.
SWOT VAC: Monday 3 June – Friday 7 June 2013
EXAMINATION PERIOD: Tuesday 11 June – Friday 28 June 2013
Note: Monday 10 June is a University / Public holiday
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
23
Attendance / Participation Requirements
Tutorials
Students should be aware of what is expected of them in tutorials / seminars - this should be discussed
in the first class. As a minimum, students are expected to attend, undertake weekly readings and
contribute to discussion.
Tutorial Attendance Hurdle Requirement
Attendance at all lectures and tutorials is expected. Apologies for absence, especially from tutorials, are
also expected. All Undergraduate subjects in the School of Social and Political Sciences have a
minimum Hurdle Requirement of 75% tutorial attendance.
If a student does not meet the tutorial attendance hurdle requirement s/he will fail the subject with an
NH grade.
Your preparation for tutorials
Students are expected to have read the relevant required readings for each tutorial, and to participate
actively in discussion. Tutorial discussion will be focused on the questions that are set for each week
and for the first 8 weeks of the semester these questions are geared to:
•
•
•
debate about issues arising from the decision-making exercise
drawing on your reading to illuminate these issues, plus
clarification of lecture materials from the previous Thursday.
As well as providing a forum for the discussion of lectures and reading material, tutorials develop
important skills for undergraduates. In particular, the tutorials will guide and encourage you to:
•
critically interrogate and evaluate different concepts, issues and challenges in global politics;
draw out the major similarities and differences between different theoretical approaches and
practical problems; relate theories to a selection of contemporary political problems;
•
develop your own critical responses and articulate your own reasoned arguments in response to
particular questions.
There are no tutorials in the first week of the semester.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Assessment: Overview
Assessment for this subject consists of:
Assessment type
Weighting
Due Date
1. A draft Discussion Paper of 500
words
2. A critical Reflective Essay of 2000
words which can incorporate the draft
above
3. A Take-Home Exam
10%
5pm Thursday 28 March 2013
35%
5pm Monday 6 May 2013
35%
4. The remaining 20% of total marks
are (provisionally) assigned to student
engagement in the subject, and this
involves a fourth assessment task. It
consists of the student group
designing and running a political
exercise to make a decision on
whether this 20% will, or will not, be
assigned to assessment of student
engagement in tutorials and in this
larger decision-making process.
20%
5pm Monday 17th June 2013
(examination period)
see further explanation at page 27 “Assessment Four” below
You must submit all assessment pieces as a hurdle requirement for the subject.
Please ensure you are available for the entirety of the University’s examination period (11 – 28 June
2013).
Assessment Task One: Draft
A draft Discussion Paper of 500 words (10%)
Due: 5pm Thursday 28 March 2013
The purpose of this assignment is to begin to develop your analysis of issues arising from the decisionmaking exercise engaged in in tutorials and in lectures (ie Assessment Task Four below).
You will be marked on the following criteria:
• clarity of understanding of the exercise itself,
• initial identification of two key issues of the Australian political system raised by this decisionmaking exercise
Assessment Task Two: Reflective Essay
A critical Reflective Essay of 2000 words (35%)
(NOTE: this essay can incorporate the draft Discussion paper above)
Due: 5pm Monday 6 May 2013
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
25
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding both of what happened in the
decision-making exercise (ie Assessment Task Four below), and to draw on aspects of the Australian
political system to develop and deepen your critical reflection.
In this written task, you are required to illuminate your critical reflection on the exercise by drawing on
the literature of at least two political issues dealt with in the subject – for example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
inclusion or exclusion from politics,
political disengagement and apathy,
compulsory voting,
representation, delegation and direct democracy
voting systems
majority and minority representation, or
federalism and representation of the states.
Assessment Task Three: Take-home Exam
Take-Home Exam (35%)
Due: 5pm Monday 17th June 2013
Note - Tests and exam-based assessment submitted late without an approved extension will not be
accepted.
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of the range of issues dealt with
in the subject. It will consist of four short essay responses of a maximum of 500 words to questions
posed. There will be a choice of more than four questions.
Assessment criteria:
In your written work for Assessment Tasks 2 and 3, you will be assessed on the following criteria:
•
your understanding and comprehension of the issues dealt with in the subject;
•
your ability to critically analyse the arguments of others that you have read, meaning not
simply repetition but identification of strengths and weaknesses;
•
your ability to construct and clearly communicate an argument that demonstrates
comprehension of the material; this includes anticipating and addressing objections to your
arguments;
•
your ability to engage with the relevant scholarly literature that bears upon the question;
•
our ability to structure the essay, with a clear introduction framing the issues crisply, a body of
the essay that develops the main argument, and a conclusion that briefly encapsulates the core
argument;
•
your research ability, measured not simply by the number of references cited in the
bibliography but also their relevance to the essay and the way they are used and cited in the
body of the essay; and
•
correct spelling and grammar and a clear referencing system.
•
please note the point on the last page of this subject guide about the consequences of
plagiarism.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Assessment Task Four: Participation in a decision-making exercise
This fourth assessment task is an opportunity for students to alter the balance of this assessment. It
consists of the student group designing and running a political exercise to make a decision on whether
20% will, or will not, be assigned to assessment of participation and engagement in tutorials and in this
larger decision-making process.
If the decision is that it should not, then that 20% will be assigned equally to the two remaining written
tasks, each of which will then be worth 45%.
The first written task, a draft Discussion paper, will be a short reflection on some of the issues in this
Exercise.
The critical Reflective Essay, which will incorporate the draft Discussion Paper, will be devoted to
reflection and discussion of the decision-making exercise. Students will be required both to reflect on
what happened, and to draw on two aspects of the Australian political system to develop their critical
reflection.
We will aim to have this exercise concluded by week 8 of the semester (but remember that sometimes
politics takes a bit longer than expected.)
I undertake to be bound by the decision reached through this student-designed decision-making
exercise, on the conditions that:
•
•
•
the process has been thorough, plausible and deliberative,
it produces an outcome that applies to all enrolled students, and
it produces an outcome permitted within the constraints of university policies.
Tutors will be required to gauge student engagement and contribution in tutorials, and in this decisionmaking exercise, from the beginning of the semester. This engagement may be demonstrated by spoken
contributions to debate, by written submissions, and via use of email, LMS interventions and other
forms of social media.
There are two obvious options, but you may want to consider others.
If the student group decides engagement should be assessed, tutors will, at the end of the semester,
assign a mark out of 20 to be added to the marks for written work.
If the student group decides engagement should NOT be assessed, the assessment weighting (20%) will
be added to the two remaining written pieces of work.
Why am I proposing this student-designed decision-making exercise?
Because it is a practical example of the dilemmas and choices in “doing” politics.
Politics is (amongst other things) about policy choices and decisions, about who can represent whom,
about who has a say and who is a citizen, about whether a majority is enough or minority views need to
be included, about participation and apathy, about compulsion versus liberty, and about the constraints
of existing policies and institutions. It is about political values and principles as well as about the
institutions of constitutional design.
What are the principles at stake in this decision about participation or about tolerating disengagement?
Views about assessing engagement and contribution to discussions have parallels with common
problems about political citizenship in mass democracies.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
27
Should voting be compulsory, should political engagement be expected, should we worry about political
apathy, should only those who are passionate get to decide things, how are we persuaded to particular
views, do only the dominant get their way, and how should decisions be debated?
Designing a political process applicable to a constituency of about 250 students also has parallels with
democracies in general, such as the 10 million or so citizens entitled to vote in Australia.
Is the majority view in a tutorial group enough or should minority views be accommodated? Do you take
a vote (using what sort of method?) or keep discussing until you reach a consensus?
We are requiring a uniform outcome for all students in the subject, rather than separate decisions
applicable only to different tutorial groups. There will be about 15 tutorial groups; how do they
negotiate with each other?
Should tutorial groups have representatives; if so, how are they chosen? Can representatives decide on
your behalf and make their own independent judgments, should they be bound by the instructions they
have been given, or should they report back to the tutorial group?
Where and in what way should the final decision be taken: in a small group of representatives, in a mass
vote in a lecture theatre, or in some other way?
Is a simple majority enough, and the minority has to just tolerate the decision? Do we need something
like the design for voting on a referendum to change the Australian Constitution?
And will what the student constituency decides be ‘legal’ within the constraints of university assessment
policies?
Both the decision-making exercise, and the critical Reflective Essay about it, have elements in common
with discussions of citizenship and participation, have real outcomes in that the decision will be
binding, and require you to investigate and consider questions about institutional design, or
constitution-making, that are key aspects of an introductory subject about the Australian political
system.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Grading system
A standard grading system applies across the University, as follows:
N 0%-49% Fail - not satisfactory
• Work that fails to meet the basic assessment criteria;
• Work that contravenes the policies and regulations set out for the assessment exercise;
• Where a student fails a subject, all failed components of assessment are double marked.
P 50%-64% Pass - satisfactory
• Completion of key tasks at an adequate level of performance in argumentation, documentation
and expression;
• Work that meets a limited number of the key assessment criteria;
• Work that shows substantial room for improvement in many areas.
H3 65%-69% Third-class honours - competent
• Completion of key tasks at a satisfactory level, with demonstrated understanding of key ideas
and some analytical skills, and satisfactory presentation, research and documentation;
• Work that meets most of the key assessment criteria;
• Work that shows room for improvement in several areas.
H2B 70%-74% Second-class honours level B - good
• Good work that is solidly researched, shows a good understanding of key ideas, demonstrates
some use of critical analysis along with good presentation and documentation;
• Work that meets most of the key assessment criteria and performs well in some;
• Work that shows some room for improvement.
H2A 75%-79% Second-class honours level A - very good
• Very good work that is very well researched, shows critical analytical skills, is well argued, with
scholarly presentation and documentation;
• Work that meets all the key assessment criteria and exceeds in some;
• Work that shows limited room for improvement.
H1 80%-100% First-class honours - excellent
• Excellent analysis, comprehensive research, sophisticated theoretical or methodological
understanding, impeccable presentation;
• Work that meets all the key assessment criteria and excels in most;
• Work that meets these criteria and is also in some way original, exciting or challenging could be
awarded marks in the high 80s or above.
• Marks of 90% and above may be awarded to the best student work in the H1 range.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Submission and extension policies
Assessment Submission
Assessment submission in the School of Social and Political Sciences is a two-step process.
Please note that both of these steps must be completed by the due date and time before work can be
assessed.
i. All written work for assessment must be submitted to the School office and include a correctly
completed School Assessment Coversheet. The cover sheet includes a student declaration, which
students must sign. The declaration relates to the originality (lack of plagiarism, collusion, etc.) of
student work. Essay Coversheets are available from relevant subject LMS sites and can also be found in
the ‘areas of study’ sections of the School’s website. Assessment should be typed in double-spacing in
12 point font on one side of the sheet only, and with a margin of at least 4 cm on the left hand side of
the page. All work submitted through the School office will be collated and passed on to the relevant
tutor/lecturer within 24 hours.
AND
ii. Students must submit assessment electronically (in word doc format) through the Turnitin function,
via the online submission portal on the LMS site of this subject. This will act as an electronic receipt of
assessment submission.
Both hard copy and electronic submission must be made by the due date specified for each piece of
assessment. Assignments will not be accepted via fax or email. Students are expected to retain a copy
of all work submitted for assessment.
Extension Policy and Late Submission of Work
Extensions for assessment other than the final piece will be handled by tutors / subject coordinators in
accordance with the current policy outlined below:
Students are able to negotiate a short-term extension of up to 5 working days with tutors for insemester assessment. Longer terms of up to 10 working days can only be approved by the subject
coordinator.
Extensions are not granted after due dates have passed. An extension of time after a deadline has
passed will be given usually only for a reason that falls within the guidelines for Special Consideration.
A specific date will then be agreed upon and enforced unless evidence for additional Special
Consideration is produced.
To apply for an extension, students must complete an Assignment Extension Request form available
from relevant subject LMS sites (and from the ‘areas of study’ sections of the School’s website) and
submit it to the School office, along with any supporting documentation where possible, prior to the
submission date. Students will then be notified of the outcome of the application by their Tutor or
Subject Coordinator either in person or by e-mail.
Extensions for the final piece of assessment due during the examination period may be granted by the
subject coordinator on the provision of some documentation for a maximum of TEN working days (two
weeks) and on the condition that the work will be marked in time for a final grade to be returned by the
results submission deadline set by the School.
Special Consideration forms should be submitted for issues which impact on the whole of semester
work and for issues affecting assessment where more than a two week extension is requested.
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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Penalty for Submission of Late Assessment
1st Year Subjects
Essay-based assessment (or equivalent) submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised
at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. Tests and exambased assessment submitted late without an approved extension will not be accepted. All pieces of
written work must be submitted to pass any subject.
Special Consideration
Students can apply for Special Consideration via the Student Portal. Special Consideration applications
should be submitted no later than 5pm on the third working day after the submission/sitting date for
the relevant assessment component. Students are only eligible for Special Consideration if
circumstances beyond their control have severely hindered completion of assessed work.
Appropriate response to Special Consideration depends upon the degree of disadvantage experienced by
the student. This may vary from an extension in the case of slight disadvantage to additional
assessment in the cases of moderate or severe disadvantage. Consideration of special consideration
applications will be by a Faculty Special Consideration Committee (SCC), working within guidelines
established by the Special Consideration Policy Committee (SCPC) and coordinated by a Student Centre.
Arts Student Centre Staff will contact students with the outcome of their application, copied in to
appropriate School staff. Subject coordinators or other staff (academic or professional) may submit
advice directly to the Special Consideration committee if they wish. Final decisions in line with
University policy will be made by the Committee.
Students should be advised not to apply for special consideration unless the relevant circumstances
have delayed their study by at least 2 weeks. Applications for special consideration detailing delays to
study for a shorter period will be refused and the student will be referred to their subject coordinator
for an extension. If students are experiencing difficulties and are not sure whether to apply for special
consideration, it is important that they discuss the matter with the lecturer / subject coordinator or a
Student Advisor at the Arts Student Centre. For further information on Special Consideration, please
refer to the following link: http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1030
Student Reasonable Adjustment Procedure (SRAP) - formerly SEAD
(Taken from MPF107 #section-3.5 of the Melbourne Policy Library)
Students who wish to receive assistance in the form of reasonable adjustments must notify the relevant
student centre or graduate school about their circumstances at least 6 weeks prior to the
commencement of the relevant teaching period to allow adequate time for the identification and
implementation of reasonable adjustments. Requests for reasonable adjustments will not be considered
retrospectively. The University may, at its own discretion, provide reasonable adjustments in
appropriate circumstances.
Examples of appropriate circumstances include, but are not limited to:
• recognition as an Indigenous Australian
• previous status as a refugee or current holder of a Humanitarian Visa
• rural or isolated background
• disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances
• disability or chronic medical condition
• intensive carer responsibilities.
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Student equity officers (SEOs) in student centres and graduate schools will consider students’ individual
needs in accordance with the Privacy Policy and may then refer students to other University service
providers as appropriate, such as Murrup Barak or Disability Liaison. Students whose grounds for
requesting reasonable adjustments are disability related may contact Disability Liaison directly.
Further information: https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1074
Elite Athletes and Performers, Army Reservists, Emergency Volunteers
Special study arrangements can be made for students who are elite athletes, performers, defence
reservists or emergency volunteers. Further information can be found via these links:
Elite Athletes and Performers Procedure: https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1072
Defence Reservists and Emergency Volunteers Procedure: https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1070
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a copyright offence, which the University regards as cheating and it is punished
accordingly.
Students are warned to be careful to guard against it occurring consciously or unconsciously in essay
writing. It is therefore important that students spend time ascertaining how their own work differs in
its assumptions and methodology from that of the critics they have read or engaged with (including
lecturers and tutors!). Students should not repeat material used for another piece of work in the same
subject or in any other subject that they have studied, as this also constitutes plagiarism in the terms of
the University’s guidelines.
Students should refer to the Schools’ Essay Writing Guide which provides clear guidelines for
referencing.
Plagiarism is academic misconduct, and is taken very seriously by the School, Faculty and University.
Any acts of suspected plagiarism detected by assessors will be followed up, and any students involved
will be required to respond via the Faculty and/or University procedures for handling suspected
plagiarism.
For more information and advice about how to avoid plagiarism, see the University's Academic Honesty
page at http://academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au/advice.html Students should be aware of how to
appropriately acknowledge sources in their assignments and what referencing style is expected in a
particular subject. Students should ask their tutor or subject coordinator if unsure. The Academic
Skills Unit (ASU) has a number of free online resources on referencing at:
http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills/reading/resources
For further information, please refer to the School’s 2013 SSPS Academic Programs Policy and
Procedure Guidelines document, provided in subject readers and LMS sites, and the Melbourne Policy
Library website: http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/
POLS10001 Subject Guide, Semester 1, 2013
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