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From labourism to social democracy : labor governments and fiscal policy in the Australian states, 1911–40

Robinson, Geoffrey 2009, From labourism to social democracy : labor governments and fiscal policy in the Australian states, 1911–40, Labour history, vol. 96, pp. 57-78.

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Title From labourism to social democracy : labor governments and fiscal policy in the Australian states, 1911–40
Author(s) Robinson, Geoffrey
Journal name Labour history
Volume number 96
Start page 57
End page 78
Total pages 22
Publisher Australian Society for the Study of Labour History and Business and Labour History
Place of publication Sydney, NSW
Publication date 2009-05
ISSN 0023-6942
Summary To what extent did the early political success of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) impact on public policy? This article presents an analysis of patterns of social expenditure and taxation in the Australian states from 1911 to 1940. Although the 1910 Surplus Revenue Act initiated a major shift in financial power to the Commonwealth the states continued to levy income tax, operate social services, in particular health and education and provided direct social welfare payments in this period. The focus of scholars on the institutions of tariff protection and industrial arbitration has obscured the importance of state social services expenditure. The article reviews general theories of public expenditure as well as relevant Australian scholarship. It then examines patterns of taxation and social expenditure and considers the extent to which state divergences were influenced by the partisan composition of state governments and divergent labour movement strategies. It concludes that Labor made a difference but this difference varied from state to state.
Field of Research 210303 Australian History (excl Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History)
Socio Economic Objective 970121 Expanding Knowledge in History and Archaeology
HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30025923

Document type: Journal Article
Collection: School of International and Political Studies
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