People Power
How Australian referendums are lost and won
WHY HAS SUCCESS BEEN SO RARE IN AUSTRALIAN REFERENDUMS?
From the failed attempt to ban communism in 1951 to the unsuccessful Voice referendum in 2023, Australians have been cautious about constitutional change, voting ‘Yes’ to only eight out of 45 referendum proposals.
In People Power, the only full history of constitutional change in Australia, constitutional experts George Williams and David Hume closely examine our referendum record and explain why success is difficult to achieve. They interview leading proponents for constitutional change and analyse each referendum campaign, the public response and the forces that shaped the outcome.
This comprehensively updated edition of People Power includes analysis on the 2023 Voice referendum along with discussion of the rise of interest in state and territory referendums, and the 2017 national plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
And the answer to holding a successful referendum in Australia? Truly engaging the people in the political process.
‘Essential reading.’ – Marcia Langton, Meanjin
‘The first of its kind.’ – Indigenous Law Bulletin
‘...advances scholarly and popular understanding of Australia’s federal constitutional system.’ – Labour History
‘A handy reference for teachers and students of Australian history and politics.’ – The Age
‘A timely study that addresses the question of why yes, like sorry, is so often the hardest word.’ – Steven Carroll, Sydney Morning Herald / The Age
‘Engaging, thought-provoking, and educative.’ – Anne Twomey, Australian Book Review
‘People Power creates a one-stop-shop of information and analysis of referendums, and makes it accessible to educators and students of political science and anyone with an interest in politics.’ – The Australian
George Williams is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University. He previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Law and Anthony Mason Professor at the University of New South Wales. He is a leading constitutional lawyer whose books include Australian Constitutional Law and Theory, The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia and How to Rule Your Own Country: The Weird and Wonderful World of Micronations. He has appeared as a barrister in the High Court and led major public inquiries.
David Hume is a Barrister at the New South Wales Bar and a Fellow of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law. David has appeared in more than 30 cases in the High Court of Australia, including many constitutional cases. He has previously worked for the Constitutional Litigation Unit at the Australian Government Solicitor, as a Solicitor at Freehills and as the Associate to Chief Justice Murray Gleeson. He has a Masters of Laws from Harvard Law School, which he attended as a General Sir John Monash Scholar and Frank Knox Memorial Fellow. He has university medals in Law and Philosophy from the University of New South Wales.
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