Professor Rodney Smith
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Professor Rodney Smith

BA, MA University of Queensland, PhD University of Sydney
Phone
+61 2 9351 6632
Address
A02 - Social Sciences Building
The University of Sydney
Websites
Professor Rodney Smith

Professor Rodney Smith is Professor of Australian Politics. He primarily teaches Australian politics and public sector ethics and corruption. His current research interests are trust and mistrust in Australian politics, as well as Australian political parties, parliaments and elections. He was Interim Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences from October 2021 to July 2023.


His books are Contemporary Australian Political Party Organisations (co-ecited, 2015), Contemporary Australian Politics (co-edited, 2012), From Carr to Keneally (co-edited, 2012), 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, European Journal of Political Research, Party Politics, The American Review of Public Administration, The Australian Journal of Political Science, The Australian Journal of Politics and History and The Australian Journal of Public Administration.

  • Australian politics
  • Elections, parties and campaigning
  • Parliaments
  • Public sector ethics and corruption
Research Students
  • Christopher Crawford, Budget Transparency.
  • Patrick Garcia, Power in the Carr Governments on NSW.
  • Luke Mansillo, Race and Australian Electoral Behaviour
Current Units of Study
  • GOVT1641 - Introduction to Politics
  • GOVT3997 - Parliament and Democracy
  • GOVT6301 - Public Sector Ethics and Corruption
Past Units of Study
  • GOVT1101 - Australian Politics
  • GOVT1104 - Power in Society
  • GOVT2114 - Party System in Australia
  • GOVT3993 - Power
  • GOVT6313 - Leadership in Theory and Practice
  • GSOG6002 - Public Sector Leadership
  • Australian elections and election management
  • Comparative federalism
  • Hung parliaments in Westminster systems
  • Populist parties in the Australian Senate

Australian Political Studies Association (Past President)

Australasian Study of Parliamenta Group

Institute of Public Administration Australia

Political Studies Association (UK)

Electoral Regulation Research Network

2020 Australian Political Studies Association Academic Leadership in Political Science Award,
2017 Faculty Teaching Award, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney.

Publications

Books

  • Smith, R. (2006). Against the Machines: Minor Parties and Independents in New South Wales 1910-2006. Sydney: The Federation Press.
  • Smith, R., Vromen, A., Cook, I. (2006). Keywords In Australian Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Edited Books

  • Miragliotta, N., Gauja, A., Smith, R. (2015). Contemporary Australian Political Party Organisations. Clayton: Monash University Publishing.
  • Smith, R., Vromen, A., Cook, I. (2012). Contemporary Politics in Australia: Theories, Practices and Issues. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.
  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2012). From Carr to Keneally: Labor in office in NSW 1995-2011. Sydney Australia: Allen and Unwin.

Book Chapters

  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2019). New South Wales. In P. Chen, N. Barry, J. Butcher, D. Clune, I. Cook, A. Garnier, Y Haigh et al (Eds.), Australian Politics and Policy: Senior Edition, (pp. 212-222). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]
  • Maddox, M., Smith, R. (2019). Religious communities and politics. In P. Chen, N. Barry, J. Butcher, D. Clune, I. Cook, A. Garnier, Y. Haigh et al (Eds.), Australian Politics and Policy: Junior Edition, (pp. 359-371). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]
  • Martinez i Coma, F., Smith, R. (2018). The States and Territories. In Anika Gauja, Peter Chen, Jennifer Curtin, Juliet Pietsch (Eds.), Double Disillusion: The 2016 Australian Federal Election, (pp. 211-234). Canberra: ANU Press. [More Information]

Journals

  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2024). Understated and Uninspired: the 2023 NSW election. Australasian Parliamentary Review, 39(1), Autumn, Winter.
  • Smith, R., Mansillo, L., Brown, A. (2023). Australian state and territory elections: regional incumbents matter. Regional & Federal Studies, 33(4), 421-439. [More Information]
  • Martinez I Coma, F., Smith, R. (2023). Correlates of Early Voting. Government and Opposition, 43(3). [More Information]

Conferences

  • Goodman, N., Smith, R. (2017). Internet Voting in Sub-National Elections: Policy Learning in Canada and Australia. 1st International Joint Conference on Electronic Voting (E-Vote-ID 2016), Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2007). Minor Parties and Independents in NSW. Writing Party History, Seminar, Sydney: Parliament of NSW.
  • Smith, R. (2005). Reconceptualising Australian Minor Parties. Australasian Political Studies Association Conference (APSA 2005), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand: Australasian Political Studies Association.

Reference Works

  • Jackson, M., Smith, R. (2007). Corruption. In Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts (Eds.), Oxford Companion to Australian Politics. Oxford University Press.

Research Reports

  • Smith, R. (2013). Internet Voting and Voter Interference: A report prepared for the New South Wales Electoral Commission, (pp. 5 - 51). Sydney, Australia: New South Wales Electoral Commission.
  • Smith, R. (2009). International Experiences of Electronic Voting and Their Implications for New South Wales, (pp. 4 - 59). Sydney, Australia: New South Wales Electoral Commission.

2024

  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2024). Understated and Uninspired: the 2023 NSW election. Australasian Parliamentary Review, 39(1), Autumn, Winter.

2023

  • Smith, R., Mansillo, L., Brown, A. (2023). Australian state and territory elections: regional incumbents matter. Regional & Federal Studies, 33(4), 421-439. [More Information]
  • Martinez I Coma, F., Smith, R. (2023). Correlates of Early Voting. Government and Opposition, 43(3). [More Information]

2021

  • Schakel, A., Smith, R. (2021). Unravelling the devolution paradox: Citizen preferences for self‐rule and for shared rule. European Journal of Political Research, in-press. [More Information]

2019

  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2019). Back to the 1950s: the 2019 NSW Election. Australasian Parliamentary Review, 34(1), 86-101. [More Information]
  • Clune, D., Smith, R. (2019). New South Wales. In P. Chen, N. Barry, J. Butcher, D. Clune, I. Cook, A. Garnier, Y Haigh et al (Eds.), Australian Politics and Policy: Senior Edition, (pp. 212-222). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]
  • Maddox, M., Smith, R. (2019). Religious communities and politics. In P. Chen, N. Barry, J. Butcher, D. Clune, I. Cook, A. Garnier, Y. Haigh et al (Eds.), Australian Politics and Policy: Junior Edition, (pp. 359-371). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]

2018

  • Martinez i Coma, F., Smith, R. (2018). Jobs, crime, proximity and boats: explaining Australian public attitudes to immigrant numbers. Australian Journal of Political Science, 53(3), 271-289. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2018). New South Wales: an accidental case of semi-parliamentarism? Australian Journal of Political Science, 53(2), 256-263. [More Information]
  • Martinez i Coma, F., Smith, R. (2018). The States and Territories. In Anika Gauja, Peter Chen, Jennifer Curtin, Juliet Pietsch (Eds.), Double Disillusion: The 2016 Australian Federal Election, (pp. 211-234). Canberra: ANU Press. [More Information]

2017

  • Smith, R. (2017). Australian Election Posters. In Christina Holtz-Bacha and Bengt Johansson (Eds.), Election Posters Around the Globe: Political Campaigning in the Public Space, (pp. 53-76). Cham: Springer. [More Information]
  • Smith, R., Brown, A. (2017). Beyond "Sovereign Spheres": Public Officials' Views on Allocating Policy Responsibilities in the Australian Federation. In Mark Bruerton, Tracey Arklay, Robyn Hollander and Ron Levy (Eds.), A People's Federation. Leichardt: The Federation Press.
  • Goodman, N., Smith, R. (2017). Internet Voting in Sub-National Elections: Policy Learning in Canada and Australia. 1st International Joint Conference on Electronic Voting (E-Vote-ID 2016), Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. [More Information]

2016

  • Smith, R. (2016). Confidence in paper-based and electronic voting channels: evidence from Australia. Australian Journal of Political Science, 51(1), 68-85. [More Information]
  • Kildea, P., Smith, R. (2016). The Challenge of Informed Voting at Constitutional Referendums. University of New South Wales Law Journal Forum, 39(1), 368-400. [More Information]

2015

  • Miragliotta, N., Gauja, A., Smith, R. (2015). Contemporary Australian Political Party Organisations. Clayton: Monash University Publishing.
  • Smith, R. (2015). Disciplined Parties and Australian Parliamentary Politics. In Narelle Miragliotta, Anika Gauja, Rodney Smith (Eds.), Contemporary Australian Political Party Organisations, (pp. 169-184). Clayton: Monash University Publishing.
  • Gauja, A., Miragliotta, N., Smith, R. (2015). Introduction: Australian Party Organisation: The State of the Field. In Narelle Miragliotta, Anika Gauja, Rodney Smith (Eds.), Contemporary Australian Political Party Organisations, (pp. xi-xx). Clayton: Monash University Publishing.

2014

  • Smith, R. (2014). Politics: Stability and Change in the New Millennium. In William W. Emilsen (Eds.), An Informed Faith: The Uniting Church at the Beginning of the 21st Century, (pp. 135-153). Preston: Mosaic Press.
  • Smith, R. (2014). Whistleblowers and suffering. In A. J. Brown, David Lewis, Richard Moberly, Wim Vandekerckhove (Eds.), International Handbook On Whistleblowing Research, (pp. 230-249). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]

2013

  • Smith, R. (2013). Internet Voting and Voter Interference: A report prepared for the New South Wales Electoral Commission, (pp. 5 - 51). Sydney, Australia: New South Wales Electoral Commission.
  • Smith, R. (2013). Representative bureaucracy in Australia: a post-colonial, multicultural society. In Patrick von Maravic, B Guy Peters, Eckhard Schroter (Eds.), Representative Bureaucracy in Action: Country Profiles from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, (pp. 217-229). Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2013). Whistleblowing and Hierarchical Bureaucracy: Re-Thinking the Relationship. E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies, 2(3), 4-24.

2012

  • Smith, R. (2012). Behaviouralism. In Rodney Smith, Ariadne Vromen, Ian Cook (Eds.), Contemporary Politics in Australia: Theories, Practices and Issues, (pp. 26-35). Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
  • Vromen, A., Smith, R. (2012). Buying the Good Society: The Rise of Australian Political Consumerism. In Catriona Elder and Keith Moore (Eds.), New Voices, New Visions: Challenging Australian Identities and Legacies, (pp. 220-241). Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Smith, R., Vromen, A., Cook, I. (2012). Contemporary Politics in Australia: Theories, Practices and Issues. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

2010

  • Smith, R. (2010). Australian Political Parties: Past, Present and Future. Australian Journal of Political Science, 45(3), 501-505. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2010). The Role of Whistle-Blowing in Governing Well: Evidence From the Australian Public Sector. The American Review of Public Administration, 40(6), 704-721. [More Information]
  • Smith, R., Gauja, A. (2010). Understanding Party Constitutions as Responses to Specific Challenges. Party Politics, 1(21), 1-20. [More Information]

2009

  • Smith, R. (2009). How Would Jesus Vote? The Churches and the Election of the Rudd Government. Australian Journal of Political Science, 44(4), 613-637. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2009). International Experiences of Electronic Voting and Their Implications for New South Wales, (pp. 4 - 59). Sydney, Australia: New South Wales Electoral Commission.
  • Smith, R. (2009). Peter Ross Sinclair. In David Clune, Ken Turner (Eds.), The Governors of New South Wales 1788-2010, (pp. 587-602). Australia: The Federation Press.

2008

  • Smith, R. (2008). Evaluation of the Sydney and New South Wales Local Integrity System. In Leo Huberts, Frank Anechiarico, FreÌ�deÌ�rique Six (Eds.), Local integrity systems : world cities fighting corruption and safeguarding integrity, (pp. 37-53). The Hague, Netherlands: BJu Legal Publishers.
  • Donkin, M., Smith, R., Brown, A. (2008). How Do Officials Report? Internal and External Whistleblowing. In A.J. Brown (Eds.), Whistleblowing in the Australian Public Sector: Enhancing the Theory and Practice of Internal Witness Management in Public Sector Organisations, (pp. 83-108). Canberra: ANU E Press. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2008). Is there a New South Wales Public Integrity System? A Preliminary Assessment. In Not known (Eds.), Promoting Integrity: Evaluating and Improving Public Institutions, (pp. 103-118). TBC.

2007

  • Jackson, M., Smith, R. (2007). Corruption. In Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts (Eds.), Oxford Companion to Australian Politics. Oxford University Press.
  • Smith, R. (2007). Minor Parties and Independents in NSW. Writing Party History, Seminar, Sydney: Parliament of NSW.

2006

  • Smith, R. (2006). Against the Machines: Minor Parties and Independents in New South Wales 1910-2006. Sydney: The Federation Press.
  • Smith, R., Vromen, A., Cook, I. (2006). Keywords In Australian Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Smith, R. (2006). NSW Parliamentary Committees and Integrity Oversight: Comparing Public Sector Agency, News Media and NGO Perspectives. Australasian Parliamentary Review, 21(1), 47-62.

2005

  • Sampford, C., Smith, R., Brown, A. (2005). From Greek Temple to Birds Nest: Towards A Theory of Coherence and Mutual Accountability for National Integrity Systems. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 64(2), 96-108. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2005). Mapping the New South Wales Public Integrity System. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 64(2), 54-61. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2005). Reconceptualising Australian Minor Parties. Australasian Political Studies Association Conference (APSA 2005), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand: Australasian Political Studies Association.

2004

  • Smith, R. (2004). Is There A New South Wales Public Integrity System? A Preliminary Assessment. Australasian Political Studies Association Conference (APSA 2004), Online: University of Adelaide.
  • Smith, R. (2004). Leadership Studies and the Uniting Church in Australia. Uniting Church Studies, 10(1), 1-15.

2003

  • Smith, R. (2003). Commentary: The New South Wales Election of 22 March 2003. Australian Journal of Political Science, 38(3), 549-556. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2003). New South Wales. In Jeremy Moon, Campbell Sharman (Eds.), Australian politics and government: the commonwealth, the states, and the territories, (pp. 41-73). UK: Cambridge University Press. [More Information]
  • Smith, R. (2003). The Assembly. In Emilsen, Emilsen (Eds.), The Uniting Church in Australia: The first 25 years, (pp. 7-33). Melbourne: Circa: Melbourne Publishing Group.

2002

  • 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, Canberra: Australian National University (ANU).

Selected Grants

2023

  • Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust: Constitutional Values Survey 2023-27, Brown A, Smith R, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)

2016

  • Implications of Changes to Voting in Australia, Smith R, Electoral Regulation Research Network (ERRN)/Research Grant