Election and Aftermath

The articles in this edition of Social Alternatives focus on elections - the lead-up to elections, election campaigns and the aftermath of elections as governments take up office and seek to implement their policies. The articles also examine different aspects of elections in different jurisdictions - elections conducted under different electoral systems that decide who can vote, how the votes are tallied and final electoral outcomes. They examine elections in jurisdictions with long-standing stable democracies and in countries where democracy has been overthrown and restored. In one case, the ballot is to decide not who will govern, but whether a new independent country should be formed. Some articles consider what happens after the election, including the impact of electoral change on parliamentary institutions and the importance of leadership style. Scrutiny is applied to the way elected governments go about the implementation of policy, whether they keep their promises and what ideological drivers affect their actions. The difficulties of translating the words uttered in election campaigns such as 'balanced budgets' and 'renegotiation of European Union powers' are analysed. Many common themes emerge in these articles despite the different jurisdictions considered and the diverse topics examined.The first article 'Campbell Newman and the Weaknesses of the Strong Leader' by Todd Winther examines the comparative literature on leadership demonstrating the relevance of analysis from other democracies such as the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States to Queensland. In 2012, the Queensland ALP government suffered a resounding defeat retaining only seven parliamentary seats. The Newman LNP government took office with a huge majority. Yet less than three years later, in a major electoral surprise, it too was defeated. In analysing the reasons for this defeat, Winther allocates responsibility to the Premier Campbell Newman and the LNP's reliance on his strong leadership. Newman had been put into the leadership of the party by the party machine following his successful tenure as Brisbane's Lord Mayor believing that he was the strong leader the party needed to regain government. Strong leadership has been equated with successful leadership both in political practice and in theoretical literature. But as Winther explains, this analysis is too simplistic. Both the literature and political experience indicate that successful leadership requires more than strength. It requires the ability to consult, to create consensus and persuade the voters. This, Newman spectacularly failed to do. He persisted with a confrontational style and unpopular policies long after it was clear they did not have electoral support. The result was the defeat of the government and the Premier losing his own seat.'The Voter ID Experiment: Reform or the Continuation of a Queensland Tradition' by Tracey Arklay also looks at a Queensland issue set in a comparative perspective. She examines changes made to the electoral act by the Newman Government that required voters to bring identification to the polling booth. This occurred despite evidence from Canada and the United States that requiring voter ID impacts disproportionately on young voters, indigenous voters, elderly and remote voters. This legislation was particularly contentious in Queensland where there has been a history of distorting the electoral rules in ways that benefited the government of the day with dubious rationalisations. The justification for introducing voter ID requirements was to reduce fraudulent voting, but little evidence has been produced to indicate this is a serious problem in Australia. The voting groups expected to be most affected were more likely to be ALP or Green voters, which aroused suspicion of the government's motives. The change was implemented despite vocal opposition and was used at two elections. As Arklay notes, evidence from the 2015 state election appears to substantiate the experience of other jurisdictions on its impact on voter turnout. …

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