Professor James Walter
Tel: +61 3 990 59433
Email: James.Walter@arts.monash.edu.au
Room W11.20 11th Floor
Building 11 (Menzies) Clayton Campus
Biography
Professor James Walter is Head of School and Professor of Political Science in the School of Political and Social Inquiry. He has broad interests in Australian politics and history. He holds a B.A. (Hons) and a Ph.D from the University of Melbourne, and an M.A from La Trobe. Professor Walter is the current President of the Australian Political Studies Association (2007-8). He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and of the Royal Society of Arts and Manufactures ( UK). Prior to his appointment at Monash, he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Arts) at Griffith University (1996-2002), and Professor of Australian Studies (1987-2002). He remains a Professor Emeritus at Griffith University. He was Professor and Head of the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at the University of London, 1990-1993.
James Walter has published widely on Australian politics, history, biography and culture. Among his books are The Leader: a political biography of Gough Whitlam (1980), The Ministers' Minders: personal advisers in national government (1986), Intellectual Movements and Australian Society(with Brian Head, 1988), Tunnel Vision: the failure of political imagination (1996) and The Citizens' Bargain: a documentary history of Australian views since 1890 (with Margaret MacLeod, 2002) and No, prime minister: reclaiming politics from leaders (with Paul Strangio, 2007). He has also edited books on Australian studies, biographical methods, foreign policy and urban development.
Professor Walter is currently working on a history of ideas in Australian politics, and a study of political careers.He maintains his interests in political leadership, political biography and the history of Australian political institutions.
Professor Walter teaches:
PLT2070 - Ideas and Power
PLT2152 - Nationalism: Interpretations
PLM4210 - Leaders, Politics and Publics
INT4020 - Civilising Global Politics
Postgraduate Supervision
| Name | Thesis Title / Topic | Supervisor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Veronica Sheen | "The implications of precarious employment for individuals and society". | Prof. Carla Lipsig-Mumme /Prof. James Walter |
| Mark Hunt | "Political Ambition in Australia". | Prof. James Walter |
| Name | Thesis Title / Topic | Supervisor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Judy Maddigan | "The uses and abuses of privilege in the Victorian Parliament 1856-2006". | Prof. James Walter/ Dr Paul Strangio |
| Sachine Jayawickrame | "The evolution of an ethnic conflict: the LTTE - freedom fighters or terror group?". | Prof. James Walter. |
Recent Publications
- Walter, J. (2008) "Can Kevin Kick the Command Culture?", APSA Presidential Address, Australian Political Studies Association Conference, Brisbane, July 7th, 2008. Click here to access
- Walter, J and P. Strangio (2007), No, prime minister: Reclaiming politics from leaders, Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 2007
- Walter, J. (2007), "Howard's Strength", Journal of Australian Studies, No. 91, 2007, pp. 59 – 68.
- Walter, J. (2007), "Political Leadership", in G. Rizer, ed. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Sociology Vol VII, Oxford, Blackwell, pp. 3441-3445.
- Walter, J. (2007), "Political Biography", "Leadership", "A.F. Davies" and "Political Psychology", entries in B. Galligan and W. Roberts, eds Oxford Companion to Australian Politics, Melbourne: OUP.
- Walter, J. (2006). "The utility of short lives." Biography 29(2): 329-337.
- Walter, J. (2006). "What if Whitlam had won another opportunity to implement his program?" What If? Australian History As It Might Have Been. S. Macintyre and S. Scalmer. Melbourne, Vic, Australia, Melbourne University Press: 138-160.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Why prime ministers go too far: The case of John Howard". Australian Security After 9/11: New and Old Agendas. D. McDougall and P. Shearman. Aldershot, UK, Ashgate Publishing Ltd: 189-206.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Ministers, minders and public servants: Changing parameters of responsibility in Australia." Australian Journal of Public Administration 65(3): 22-27.
- Walter, J. and T. Moore (2006), "State Socialism: A Reconsideration", Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol. 52, no. 1, 2006, pp. 13 - 29.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Political leadership". Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia. A. Parkin, J. Summers and D. Woodward. Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia, Pearson Education Australia: 312-326.
- Walter, J. (2006). "The 'life myth', 'short lives' and dealing with live subjects in political biography". Australian Political Lives: Chronicling Political Careers and Administrative Histories. T. Arklay, J. Nethercote and J. Wanna. Canberra, ACT, Australia, ANU ePress: 29-34.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Friendships in the hothouse: Power, politics and the possibilities of friendship." History Australia 3(2): 39.1-39.10.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Ministerial staff and the 'lattice of leadership'." Democratic Audit of Australia 2006(4): 1-7.
- Walter, J. (2006). "Politics, policy and change: Collective biography and the age of uncertainty". Australasian Political Studies Association Conference 2006, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, The University of Newcastle.
- Saunders, P. and J. Walter (2005), eds, Ideas and Influence: Social Science and Public Policy in Australia, Sydney: UNSW Press.
For more publications click here.