Jan Pakulski

The Decline of Political Leadership in Australia?: Changing Recruitment and Careers of Federal Politicians Jan Pakulski

Marc Notes: This text analyses the changing political recruitment of the Australian federal parliamentary elite. It argues that the elite's quality has been reduced to a worrisome degree, especially since the 1990s. It suggests that the declining quality of the Australian 'political class' is a major factor behind the declining public trust in politicians. Biographical Note: Jan Pakulski, MA (Warsaw), PhD (ANU), is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tasmania, Australia and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA). He is the author-editor of 9 books and over 120 scholarly articles on elites, democratization, multiculturalism, post-communism, social movements, and social inequality. His most recent books are Globalizing Inequalities (Allen and Unwin, 2004), Toward Leader Democracy (with Andras Korosenyi, Anthem, 2012) and Violence and the State (co-edited and co-written with Matt Killingsworth and Matthew Sussex, MUP 2015). Bruce Tranter is professor of sociology at the University of Tasmania, Hobart. His research interests include the study of political and environmental leaders, environmental attitudes and behaviour, social movements and national identity. Articles based upon his quantitative and qualitative research have been published widely in international sociological and political science journals. Table of Contents: Preface And Acknowledgements1 Introduction: What Is Wrong With Our Politicians?2 Political Elites, Elite Quality And Elite Recruitment3 Political Candidates 4 The Federal Parliamentarians: Changing Recruitment And Careers5 The Leaders 6 ConclusionReferences

Contributor Bio:  Pakulski, Jan Jan Pakulski is dean of arts at the University of Tasmania and the coauthor of "The Death of Class," "Postcommunist Elites and Democracy in Eastern Europe," and "Postmodernization,"