This book questions the common understanding of party political behaviour explaining some of
the sharp differences in political behaviour through a focused case study-drawing
systematically on primary and archival research-of the Australian Labor Party's political and
policy directions during select periods in which it was out of office at the federal level:
from 1967-72 1975-83 and 1996-2001. Why is it that some Oppositions contest elections with an
extensive array of detailed policies many of which contrast with the approach of the
government at the time while others can be widely criticised as 'policy lazy' and
opportunistic seemingly capitulating to the government of the day? Why do some Oppositions
lurch to the right while others veer leftward? Each of these periods was in its own way
crucial in the party's history and each raises important questions about Opposition
behaviour.The book examines the factors that shaped the overall direction in which the party
moved during its time in Opposition including whether it was oriented towards emphasising
programmes traditionally associated with social democrats such as pensions unemployment
support and investment in public health education infrastructure and publicly owned
enterprises as well as policies aimed at reducing the exploitation of workers. In each period
of Opposition examined an argument is made as to why Labor moved in a particular direction
and how this period compared to the other periods surveyed.The book rounds off with analysis of
the generalisability of the conclusions drawn: how relevant are they for understanding the
behaviour of other parties elsewhere in the world? Where are social democratic parties such as
the ALP heading? Is Opposition an institution in decline in the Western world?
