The course provides an examination of the system of rules, institutions and practices through which the Australian system of representative government and public administration is constituted and functions. Main concerns are the roles and relative powers of the three branches of government, the practices of responsible government and the federal system and the intergovernmental relations. Particular emphasis is placed on exploring the role of public administrative systems within the wider political and democratic frameworks in which they function. The course examines theory and practice of public administration and management at all levels in the Australian federation, with particular reference to the administrator’s role in the effective development and implementation of public policy.