
Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance
Comparative Perspectives
Oxford University Press
Published on 28. March 2013
Book
Hardback
360 pages
978-0-19-966642-3 (ISBN)
Description
At the beginning of the twenty-first century prime ministers loom larger in the consciousness of their nations than perhaps in any previous era. But how well do we really understand the variables of prime-ministerial performance, and, specifically, why some prime ministers apparently flourish in the role while others wither? This study examines how prime ministers perform as leaders of their governments, parties, and nations. It offers new ways of thinking about prime-ministerial power and leadership, and systematic empirical studies of prime-ministerial leadership practices in four Westminster democracies: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The volume features contributions from leading political scientists from all of these countries and is organised into three major sections: understanding power in prime-ministerial performance, prime ministers and their parties, and evaluating prime-ministerial performance. Through its collaborative and multifaceted approach the volume demonstrates that there are no hard and fast propositions or rules of thumb to capture what it is that makes us think of some prime ministers as so much more effective than others. Instead it highlights the importance for students of executive government to grasp the contingent interplay between personal, institutional, and contextual factors in understanding and evaluating prime-ministerial performance.
Reviews / Votes
a fascinating study. * Derek Hawes, Journal of Contemporary European Studies *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
674 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-966642-3 (9780199666423)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Paul Strangio | Paul T Hart | James Walter
Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance
Comparative Perspectives
E-Book
03/2013
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€71.99
Available for download
Persons
Paul Strangio is a specialist in Australian political history with a particular focus on political parties and political leadership at both national and state level. He has published widely in the field as the author and editor of some ten books over the past decade, including biography and party history. Paul is also a leading commentator on Australian politics in the electronic and print media. He is a senior lecturer in politics in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University.
Paul 't Hart was, before joining Utrecht University, at Leiden University's Department of Public Administration from 1987 until 2002. Between 2005 and 2010 his main appointment was as Professor of Political Science at Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. He is also a fellow of the Australia New Zealand School of Government and has taught and trained thousands of public officials in Holland, Australia, and Sweden. His areas of expertise include: political and public sector leadership; crisis management; policy evaluation and policy change; political-administrative relations within executive government; and accountability in national and EU governance. He is Professor of Public Administration at the Utrecht School of Governance and Associate Dean at the Netherlands School of Government in The Hague.
James Walter has previously held chairs at the University of London and at Griffith University (Brisbane). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and a former President of the Australian Political Studies Association. His areas of expertise and publication cover Australian politics and political history, leadership and political biography, political ideas, political psychology, and policy decision making. He is Professor of Politics at Monash University, and Professor Emeritus at Griffith University.
Paul 't Hart was, before joining Utrecht University, at Leiden University's Department of Public Administration from 1987 until 2002. Between 2005 and 2010 his main appointment was as Professor of Political Science at Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. He is also a fellow of the Australia New Zealand School of Government and has taught and trained thousands of public officials in Holland, Australia, and Sweden. His areas of expertise include: political and public sector leadership; crisis management; policy evaluation and policy change; political-administrative relations within executive government; and accountability in national and EU governance. He is Professor of Public Administration at the Utrecht School of Governance and Associate Dean at the Netherlands School of Government in The Hague.
James Walter has previously held chairs at the University of London and at Griffith University (Brisbane). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and a former President of the Australian Political Studies Association. His areas of expertise and publication cover Australian politics and political history, leadership and political biography, political ideas, political psychology, and policy decision making. He is Professor of Politics at Monash University, and Professor Emeritus at Griffith University.
Editor
Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University
Professor of Public Administration, Utrecht University & Associate Dean, Netherlands School of Public Administration
Professor of Politics, Monash University
Content
1. Prime Ministers and the Performance of Public Leadership ; PART I UNDERSTANDING POWER IN PRIME-MINISTERIAL PERFORMANCE ; Introduction to Part I ; 2. Personal Style, Institutional Setting and Historical Opportunity: Prime-Ministerial Performance in Context ; 3. Power in Prime-Ministerial Performance: Institutional and Personal Factors ; 4. Chapter 4 The Politics Prime Ministers Make: Political Time and Executive Leadership in Westminster Systems ; 5. Gendering Prime-Ministerial Power ; PART II PRIME MINISTERS AND THEIR PARTIES ; Introduction to Part II ; 6. Prime Ministers and Their Parties in the United Kingdom ; 7. Prime Ministers and Their Parties in Canada ; 8. Prime Ministers and Their Parties in Australia ; 9. Prime Ministers and Their Parties in New Zealand ; PART III EVALUATING PRIME-MINISTERIAL PERFORMANCE ; Introduction to Part III ; 10. Evaluating Prime-Ministerial Performance: The British Experience ; 11. Evaluating Prime-Ministerial Performance: The Canadian Experience ; 12. Evaluating Prime-Ministerial Performance: The Australian Experience ; 13. Evaluating Prime-Ministerial Performance: The New Zealand Experience ; 14. From Prime-Ministerial Leadership to Court Politics