Walter, James

Positions summary

Professor of Political Science 2002-2016; Head of Political and Social Inquiry 2006-2009; Emeritus Professor 2016.

Biography

James Walter is Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the School of Social Sciences. He graduated with a B.A (Hons) and a Ph.D from the University of Melbourne and an M.A from La Trobe University. Professor Walter is a former Head of the School of Political and Social Enquiry (2006-09). Prior to his appointment at Monash, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Arts) at Griffith University (1996-2002), and Professor of Australian Studies (1987-2002). He was Professor and Head of the Sir Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at the University of London 1990-1993. He is a past President of the Australian Political Studies Association (2007-08). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (and served on the Academy's Executive 2006-09 and 2015-18) and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Manufactures (UK: 1991-2015). He was Chair of the Australian Studies Offshore Reference Committee (Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs DEETYA) 1996-97, a member of the Australia-China Council (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade DFAT) 1995-99 and a member of the National Archives Advisory Council 1997-2001. 

James Walter has published widely on Australian politics, history, biography and culture. Among his books are 'The Leader: a political biography of Gough Whitlam' (1980), 'The Ministers' Minders: personal advisers in national government' (1986), 'Intellectual Movements and Australian Society' (with Brian Head, 1988), 'Tunnel Vision: the failure of political imagination' (1996), 'The Citizens' Bargain: a documentary history of Australian views since 1890' (2002), 'Ideas and Influence: Social Science and Public Policy in Australia' (edited with Peter Saunders, 2005), 'No, prime minister: reclaiming politics from leaders' (with Paul Strangio, 2007), 'What were they thinking? The politics of ideas in Australia' (2010), 'Understanding Prime Ministerial Performance' (edited with Paul Strangio and Paul 't Hart, 2013), 'Settling the Office: The Australian Prime Ministership from Federation to Reconstruction' (with Paul Strangio and Paul 't Hart, 2016) and 'The Pivot of Power: Australian Prime Ministers and Political Leadership 1949-2016' (with Paul Strangio and Paul 't Hart, 2017). He has also edited books on Australian studies, biographical methods, foreign policy and urban development.

Papers

Research and teaching files 1970 - 2018
Includes correspondence, working papers, course materials, manuscripts, articles, reports, recordings of interviews and television programs, and papers of various committees of external organisations.