Robin Miller

In the first half of the twentieth century, the power of parliaments around the world declined. More recently a revival has occurred, and parliaments have responded to the challenge with new institutions that strengthen their powers. ""Parliament in the Twenty-first Century"" is an authoritative account of the development of the parliamentary committee system in Australia from 1970 to 2006. Drawing on detailed analysis of hundreds of committee reports, and interviews with members of parliament, the authors explore the implications the system has for both governance and careers of parliamentarians. The authors particularly examine the different roles of House of Representative and Senate committees, and consider the impact of the Howard Government's control of the Senate since mid 2005. ""Parliament in the Twenty-first Century"" is an invaluable resource for students of Australian parliament and for all those interested in how parliamentary institutions adapt to change.

'Seldom has a senior public servant been so candid. As a key policymaker, Meredith Edwards takes us inside the process to reveal how we get the policies the affect so much of our lives.' - Paul Kelly, International Editor, The Australian'This innovative and important volume, unique in the policy literature, provides ideas and case studies of interest to everyone who cares about the quality of Australian public policy. It will be an indispensable guide to past choices, and its lessons should help shape future Australian social policy decisions.' - Dr Glyn Davis, co-author of The Australian Policy HandbookHow are social policies conceived, developed and put into practice? Based on four case studies of social policy reforms in which the author was a major player (the Child Support Scheme, AUSTUDY, the Higher Education Contribution scheme (HECS) and long-term employment policies presented as 'Working Nation') Social Policy, Public Policy provides insights into what is often otherwise seen as a 'black box' on how policy advice occurs. Meredith Edwards' personal experience, revealed in extracts from her journal, provides a picture of what social policy participants actually do, something on which too little has been written. Questions addressed in the book include: How was the policy problem identified and articulated and by whom? What were the key ingredients in policy analysis? When did consultation occur and in what form? How was the policy decision arrived at? What were the events between decision and implementation? And what evaluation processes occurred? Social Policy, Public Policy is essential reading for all students of public policy and policy advisers.