166-102 Contemporary Issues in Australian Politics: Citizenship and the Nature of the Polity

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In the lead up to the centenary of Federation, there has been a great deal of debate about the status of Australia's nationhood, and in particular whether it should become a republic or not. This subject will examine these debates yet with a sensitivity to the wider issues involved including: what it means to be an Australian citizen in the 1990s; the implications of the retreat from the norm of full-employment; and the types of urban spaces and senses of community that may evolve in the near future. Drawing on various traditions of political thought, the underlying puzzle to be explored is the question of what constitutes a 'good' polity.

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