A Sceptical Democracy: The Idea of 'the People' in Australian Politics 1788-2001

The aim of this project is to understand the origin, nature, shifts, and continuities of appeals to popular sovereignty in three crucial periods of Australian history - 1840-1856, 1890-1901, & 1988-2001. The significance of this project lies in its attempt to explain how appeals to popular sovereignty have legitimised Australia's Constitutional democracy. The project will seek to understand the importance of the idea of 'the people' in our past and its resonance in contemporary Australia. The outcomes of the project will include a major monograph published by Cambridge University Press, a smaller textbook published by Penguin, and a three part radio documentary to be broadcast on ABC Radio National.