Government and Democracy in Australia covers most of the important aspects of government and democracy in Australia, by presenting a number of views and then asking readers to debate and discuss Australian politics. The tension between politics (understood as government) and democracy is an underlying theme. A variety of factors that affect politics in Australia are examined, such as globalization, the media and the internet, security and terrorism, as well as the basic aspects of Australian politics that must be addressed in a first year text. This new edition also covers the 2007 Federal Election, and looks to the future under a new Labor government. New pedagogical features have been included to make the text even more accessible to undergraduate students.