Elections Matter: Ten Federal Elections that Shaped Australia

by Frank Bongiorno (Editor), Benjamin T. Jones (Editor), John Uhr (Editor)

In a world of fake news and populist politics, elections can seem like theatre. Taking ten examples, this book argues that elections do matter (even when you think they don’t). It is not just elections with memorable jingles or triumphant campaigns that can shape the nation. Elections Matter examines how the democratic process could have produced a different country. 

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Frank Bongiorno is a professor of history and former head of the School of History at the Australian National University. His most recent book is Dreamers and Schemers: A Political History of Australia.

Reviews

[laura]

3.5 stars
A stronger and more directed edit might have improved this book, titled 'Elections Matter' but more often a story of why they don't matter at all. Notable exceptions (1929, 1940, 1969, 2001 and 2010) aside, several authors seemed bent on downplaying the impression that elections have significant power to shape Australia.

If this book wasn't to prove that elections truly matter, then I could have done with a little more rumination on the central question: the degree to which elections are merely a routine continuation of the political status quo (and ideological convergence) as opposed to an active site for change and potential. Still, a decent overview of Australian electoral and political history, even if the insights offered were largely of the well-trodden variety.

[Sean Harding]

Elections Matter is the title of the book and the statement is largely correct - the way we live our life, the freedoms we enjoy, the way we treat the vulnerable members of society are affected by elections.
Why is this books so bad then?
Because they seem to have a knack for choosing the elections that well didn't matter.
A book about elections that matter that did not choose 1961, 1972, 1975, 1983, 1993, 2007 for starters and chooses some really boring predictable elections.
Everyone knew who was going to win in 1969, 1987 and 1996.
and the essays were largely what you could find in a Wikepedia article.
A promising idea is flawed by a poor choice of elections and poor essays.
Look elsewhere for interesting books on Australian elections.
It is a good thing I borrowed it from the library as it saved me money and I knew I was not able to throw it in the recycle bin when I had finished.

[Chiara]

I was looking forward to finding out about how our elections shaped some of Australia's history. I was hoping a bit more for what was advertised on the cover - what effect the elections had on the following years and how the chosen government shaped Australia, in comparison to what would've happened had the opposition got in. I found it a bit lacking on these points, particularly the chapters on the earlier elections, instead focusing more on the lead up and why that government was chosen, with probably a bit too much detail on individual seats.
This might be more interesting for a student of political science who has more background knowledge and context on these points than I did, but it's hard to say.