Associate Professor Rodney Smith
BA, MA - University of Queensland
PhD - University of Sydney

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+61 2 9351 6632 |
Address |
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Dr Rodney Smith teaches Australian politics and political sociology. His current research interests are Australian political parties and elections, political ethics and corruption, and religion and politics in liberal democracies.
His books are Against the Machines (2006), Keywords in Australian Politics (co-authored, 2006), Australian Political Culture (2001) and Politics in Australia (edited, three editions from 1989 to 1997). He has published articles in Governance, The Australian Journal of Political Science, The Australian Journal of Politics and History, The Australian Journal of Public Administration and The Australian Religion Studies Review. He is currently part of a team completing a major ARC-funded study of public sector whistleblowers in Australia.
Research Interests
- Australian political parties and elections
- Political ethics and corruption
- Religion and politics in liberal democracies
Current Research
- Australian political parties;
- Local government anti-corruption and integrity systems;
- Legislative coalition-building in Australia
Publications
2012
Books
Contemporary Politics in Australia: Theories, Practices and Issues, Melbourne, Cambridge University Press, 2012 (co-edited with Ariadne Vromen and Ian Cook).
From Carr to Keneally: NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2012 (co-edited with David Clune).
Book Chapters
"Australia: Representative Bureaucracy in a Post-Colonial, Multicultural Society," in B. Guy Peters, Eckhard Schröter and Patrick von Maravic (eds.), Representative Bureaucracy in Action, Volume II: Country Profiles from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2012.
"The Liberal Party," Chapter 2 in David Clune and Rodney Smith (eds), From Carr to Keneally: NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2012.
"Non-Rural Independents and the Minor Parties," Chapter 4 in David Clune and Rodney Smith (eds), From Carr to Keneally:NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2012.
"Parliament," Chapter 5 in David Clune and Rodney Smith (eds), From Carr to Keneally: NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2012.
"How Labor Governed," Chapter 24 in David Clune and Rodney Smith (eds), From Carr to Keneally: NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2012.
"Behaviouralism," Chapter 3 in Rodney Smith, Ariadne Vromen and Ian Cook (eds), Contemporary Australian Politics, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Other
"Landa, David Paul," in The Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press, Volume 18 (2012—accepted 27 August 2007).
2011
Conference Papers
"The Opposition in New South Wales." "Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Roundtable," Australian Catholic University, Canberra, 21-23 February 2011.
2010
Articles
"The Role of Whistleblowing in Governing Well: Evidence from the Australian Public Sector," American Review of Public Administration 40(6), November 2010, pp. 704-721.
"Understanding Party Constitutions as Responses to Specific Challenges," Party Politics 16 (6), 2010, pp. 755-775 (with Anika Gauja).
"How Would Jesus Vote? The Churches and the Election of the Rudd Government," Australian Journal of Political Science, 44(4) December 2009, pp. 613-638.
Conference Papers
"The Senate and the Rudd Government: Explaining the Mixed Outcomes of 2008 to 2010." Australasian Political Studies Association Conference, University of Melbourne, 27-29 September 2010.
Book Reviews
Andrew Scott, Politics, Parties and Issues in Australia, Melbourne, Pearson Education, 2009, The Australian Journal of Political Science 45(3), September 2010, pp. 501-505.
2009
Book Chapters
"Peter Ross Sinclair," Chapter 35 in David Clune and Ken Turner (eds), The New South Wales Governors, Sydney, The Federation Press, 2009, pp. 587-602.
Articles
"How Would Jesus Vote? The Churches and the Election of the Rudd Government," Australian Journal of Political Science 44(4) December 2009, pp. 613-638.
Book Reviews
"Review Essay: Australian Parties: Past, Present, Future," Nick Dyrenfurth and Paul Strangio, eds, Confusion: The Making of the Australian Two-Party System, Melbourne, Melbourne University Press, 2009
Linda Botterill and Geoff Cockfield, eds, The National Party: Prospects for the Great Survivors, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2009
Andrew Scott, Politics, Parties and Issues in Australia, Melbourne, Pearson Education, 2009
Reports
International Experiences of Electronic Voting and Their Implications for New South Wales. Report prepared for the New South Wales Electoral Commission. Sydney, NSW Electoral Commission (August 2009).
2008
Book Section/s
Smith R 2008 ‘The Sydney Local Integrity System’, Chapter 3 in Leo Huberts, Frank Anechiarico and Frederique Six (eds), Local Integrity Systems: World Cities Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity, The Hague, BJu Legal Publishers, 2008, (ISBN 978-90-5454-854-6), pp. 37-54.
Smith R 2008 ‘The New South Wales Integrity System’, Chapter 7 in Brian Head, A.J. Brown and Carmel Connors (eds), Promoting Integrity: Evaluating and Improving Public Integrity Institutions, Aldershot, Ashgate, 2008, pp. 103-118.
Smith R 2008 ‘How Do Officials Report? Internal and External Whistleblowing’, in A.J. Brown (ed.), Whistleblowing in the Australian Public Sector: Enhancing the Theory and Practice of Internal Witness Management in Public Sector Organisations, Canberra, ANU E Press, 2008 (ISBN 9781921536182), pp. 83-108 (with Marika Donkin and A.J. Brown).
Smith R 2008 ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Whistleblowing Outcomes’, in A.J. Brown (ed.), Whistleblowing in the Australian Public Sector: Enhancing the Theory and Practice of Internal Witness Management in Public Sector Organisations, Canberra, ANU E Press, 2008 (ISBN 9781921536182), pp. 109-136 (with A.J. Brown).
2007
Book Section/s
Smith R and Jackson M 2007 'Corruption' in The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics, ed. Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts, Oxford University Press, Melbourne pp. 140-42.
Smith R 2007 'Minor Parties and Independents in New South Wales' in Writing Party History: Papers from a Seminar Held at Parliament House, ed. David Clune and Ken Turner, New South Wales Parliamentary Library, Sydney pp. 75-84.
2006
Book/s
Smith R, Vromen A and Cook I 2006 Keywords In Australian Politics, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
Smith R 2006 Against the Machines: Minor Parties and Independents in New South Wales 1910-2006, The Federation Press, Sydney.
Book Section/s
Smith R and O'Mahony J 2006 'The Cartel Parties Model and Electoral Barriers' in Political Parties in Transition?, ed. I. Marsh, The Federation Press, Sydney pp. 94-115.
Smith R 2006 'Robert John Carr' in The Premiers of New South Wales, ed. D. Clune and K. Turner, Federation Press, Sydney pp. 479-498.
Vromen A, Gauja A and Smith R 2006 'Transforming parliament? Independent and Minor Party Women in NSW Politics' in No Fit Place for Women’? Women and NSW Politics 1856-2006, ed. D Brennan and L Chappell UNSW Press, Sydney pp. 131-54.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 2006 'NSW Parliamentary Committees and Integrity Oversight: Comparing Public Sector Agency, News Media and NGO Perspectives', Australasian Parliamentary Review, vol.21.
2005
Journal Article/s
Sampford C, Smith R and Brown AJ 2005 'From Greek Temple to Birds Nest: Towards A Theory of Coherence and Mutual Accountability for National Integrity Systems', Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol.64:2, pp. 96-108.
Smith R 2005 'Mapping the New South Wales Public Integrity System', Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol.64:2, pp. 54-61.
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 2005 'Reconceptualising Australian Minor Parties', Australasian Political Studies Association Conference, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand,28-30 September 2005.
Report/s
Smith R 2005 'Chaos or Coherence: Strengths, Opportunities and Challenges for Australias National Integrity Systems', National Integrity System Australia (NISA) Final Report, Brisbane, Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, Griffith University and Melbourne, Transparency International Australia .
2004
Journal Article/s
Smith R 2004 'Leadership Studies and the Uniting Church in Australia', Uniting Church Studies, vol.10:1, pp. 1-15.
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 2004 'Is There a New South Wales Public Integrity System? A Preliminary Assessment?' the Australasian Political Studies Association Conference, University of Adelaide,29 September - 1 October 2004.
2003
Book Section/s
Smith R 2003 'New South Wales' in Australian Politics and Government: The Commonwealth, The States and the Territories, ed. C. Sharman and J. Moon, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne pp. 41-73.
Smith R 2003 'The Assembly' in The Uniting Church in Australia-The First 25 Years, ed. W. Emilsen and S. Emilsen, Circa Books (Melbourne Publishing Group), Melbourne pp. 7-33.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 2003 'The New South Wales Election of 22 March 2003', Australian Journal of Political Science, vol.38:3, pp. 549-56.
Conference Paper/s
Smith R 2003 'The Cartel Parties Thesis and Electoral Barriers to New Party Competitors in Australia',Australasian Political Studies Association Conference, University of Tasmania, Hobart: School of Government University of Tasmania.
2002
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 2002 'Political Parties in Contemporary Australian Fiction: Stephen Sewell�s The Blind Giant is Dancing, George Papaellina's No and Alan Wearne's The Nightmarkets', 50th Annual Australian Political Studies Association Conference, Australian National University,October, 2002.
2001
Books
Smith R 2001 Australian Political Culture, Longman, Sydney.
Book Section/s
Smith R 2001 '1999' in The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, ed. Michael Hogan and David Clune, New South Wales Parliamentary Library and Department of Government, University of Sydney, Sydney pp. 323-368.
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 2001 'Imagining Australian Republics and Other Institutional Alternatives: Executives and Parliaments in Recent Australian Literary Fiction', 43rd Annual Conference of The Australasian Political Studies Association (APSA), Brisbane, Australia,24-26 September 2001.
2000
Book/s
Smith R 2000 The New South Wales State Election 1999, New South Wales Parliamentary Library and Department of Government, University of Sydney, Sydney.
Book Section/s
Jackson M and Smith R 2000 'Inside Moves and Outside Views: An Australian Case Study of Elite and Public Perceptions of Political Corruption' in The Politics of Corruption, ed. Robert Williams, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, U.K. pp. 479-500.
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 2000 'Protest and Antipolitics in Contemporary Australian Fiction: Tim Winton, Amanda Lohrey and Victor Kelleher', Proceedings of the 2000 Conference of the Australasian Political Studies Association, ANU, Canberra.
1999
Book Section/s
Smith R 1999 'The Sources of New Labour' in Britain in Europe: Prospects for Change, ed. J. Milfull, Ashgate, Aldershot.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 1999 'Australian Solitudes: Citizens, Parliamentary Party Politics, Corruption Agencies and Political Ethics', Legislative Studies, vol.14:1, pp. 36-46.
Smith R 1999 'Visible and Invisible Cultures of Parliamentary Ethics: The "Sports Rorts" Affair Revisited', Australian Journal of Political Science, vol.34:1, pp. 47-62.
Conference Proceeding/s
Smith R 1999 'The Public Service in Recent Australian Fiction: West Block, The Tax Inspector and Three Dollars', Proceedings of the 1999 Conference of the Australasian Political Studies Association, Sydney.
1998
Book Section/s
Smith R 1998 'Australia: An Old Order Manages Change' in Political Parties and the Collapse of Old Orders, ed. P.J. Davies and J. White, Albany State University of New York Press, New York.
Smith R 1998 'Strange Distinctions: Parliamentarians, Political Parties and Legislative Ethics Research' in Ethics and Political Practice: Perspectives on Legislative Ethics, ed. N. Preston, C. Sampford and C-A. Bois, Routledge, London.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 1998 'Religion and Electoral Behaviour in Australia: Searching for Meaning', Australian Religion Studies Review, vol.11:2, pp. 17-37.
1997
Book Section/s
Smith R 1997 'Power' in Politics in Australia, ed. R. Smith, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Smith R 1997 'The Australian Democrats in NSW Politics' in Keeping the Bastards Honest: The Australian Democrats' First Twenty Years, ed. J. Warhurst, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Smith R 1997 'The News Media' in Politics in Australia, ed. R. Smith, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Smith R 1997 'The Party System' in Politics in Australia, ed. R. Smith, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Edited Book/s
Smith R 1997 Politics in Australia, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
1995
Book Section/s
Smith R 1995 'Dislocating Citizens: The Young Unemployed' in Equity and Citizenship Under Keating, ed. M. Hogan and K. Dempsey, Public Affairs Research Centre, Department of Government and Public Administration, University of Sydney, Sydney.
Smith R 1995 'Parliament' in Reform and Reversal; Lessons from the Liberal Coalition Government in New South Wales 1988-95, ed. M. Laffin and M. Painter, MacMillan, Melbourne.
Journal Article/s
Smith R and Jackson M 1995 'Everybody�s Doing It! Codes of Ethics and New South Wales Parliamentarians Perceptions of Corruption', Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol.54:4, pp. 483-493.
1994
Book Section/s
Smith R 1994 'Parliament' in New Developments in Australian Politics, ed. J. Brett, J. Gillespie and M. Goot, MacMillan, Melbourne.
Smith R 1994 'The Major Party Competition: Social Welfare Since 1972' in Welfare and Social Policy in Australia; The Distribution of Advantage, ed. R. Berreen and M. Wearing, Harcourt Brace, Sydney.
Journal Article/s
Smith R, Jackson M, Kirby E and Thompson L 1994 'Sovereign Eyes: Legislators' Perceptions of Corruption', Journal of Comparative and Commonwealth Politics, vol.32:1, pp. 54-67.
1993
Edited Book/s
Smith R 1993 Politics in Australia, Allen and Unwin, St Leonards, N.S.W.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 1993 'Political Chronicle: New South Wales', Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol.39:2, pp. 231-237.
1992
Journal Article/s
Smith R 1992 'Political Chronicle: New South Wales', Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol.38:2, pp. 222-227.
1989
Edited Book/s
Smith R and Watson L 1989 Politics in Australia, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Journal Article/s
Smith R 1989 'The Problem of Interests in Contemporary Liberal Political Theory', Politics, vol.24:1, pp. 56-66.
1987
Journal Article/s
Smith R and Wearing M 1987 'Do Australians Want the Welfare State?' Politics, vol.22:2, pp. 55-65.
1986
Report/s
Smith R 1986 'Welfare services in New South Wales', Background paper, Library for the information of members of the New South Wales Parliament, Report Number 0730555801 (not printed in book)
Lectures/Seminars
"Local Government Integrity Systems." Presentation to ‘Who Knew?’ Corruption Prevention Network Annual Full Day Forum, Sydney, 8 September 2011.
"What Forms of Parliamentary Integrity System Work? A Comparative Commonwealth Perspective." Presentation to "Ethics and Integrity in Parliament: Emerging Perspectives."
A Conference of the Parliamentary Studies Centre ANU, Parliament House, Canberra, 30 November 2009.
"Public Sector Ethics in the UK: A View from Australia." Presentation to the Business School, University of Hull, Kingston upon Hull, UK, 21 October 2009.
"Australian Public Sector Integrity Measures in a Comparative Perspective." Inaugural lecture in the Department for Public Management and Governance International Public Management Lecture Series, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany, 22 September 2009.
Commentary
Interviews - 2011
Television:
Channel 7 News
‘6pm with George Negus’, Channel 10
Prime Television News
Radio:
‘AM’
‘PM’
‘The World Today’
Alan Jones, 2GB
Adam Spencer, ABC 702
ABC Regional Radio
National Radio News
2SER
Newspapers:
Australian Financial Review
The Australian
The Age
Sunday Telegraph
Adelaide Advertiser
News services:
Bloomberg
JiJi Press, Japan.
Opinion Pieces
"Tough Road to Restoring Balance," The Australian, 27 March 2011.
"Rural Independents to Feel the Squeeze," The Australian, 22 March 2011.
"Hanson’s Entry Poses a Riddle for both Sides of Divide," The Australian, 16 March 2011.
"Opposition Needs to Accentuate the Positive and Say What it Plans to do in Government," The Australian, 7 March 2011.
Teaching
Current Units of Study
GOVT1101 - Australian Politics
GOVT3993 - Power
Past Units of Study
GOVT1104 - Power in Society
GOVT2114 - Party System in Australia
GOVT6313 - Leadership in Theory and Practice
Research Students
Nicholas Bromfield - Australian Prime Ministers and ANZAC Discourse.
Christopher Neff - Shark Bites and Public Policy in South Africa, the United States of America and Australia.
Ben Sun - Political Participation among Chinese Communities in Australia.