Not Centralisation but Decentralised Integration through Australia's National Mental Health Policy

Bibliographic Data

ID11961884
AuthorsAmanda Smullen (0000-0003-4023-0380, Australian National University, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume75
Issue3
Pages280-290
Publication date2015-05-03
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Public Administration (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0313-6647 • E-ISSN: 1467-8500
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-8500.12153
OpenAlexW1856397307
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited21

This article challenges dominant perceptions of Commonwealth centralisation in Australia's federal system. While recognising the Commonwealth has entered a range of policy fields not anticipated by federal founders, it argues this does not equate to a generalised unidirectional and hierarchical orchestration of state/territory functions. The crucial case of mental health policy is presented as an alternative scenario in Australia's federal experience. Theoretically key challenges from the multi‐level governance literature are proffered against the centralisation thesis. These include queries about the origins of Commonwealth directives and assumptions of zero‐sum notions of state/territory autonomy. Brief empirical analysis highlights the role of the Commonwealth as a conduit of horizontal and vertical flows of knowledge through the national mental health policy agenda. Given disconnect and diversity between national ambitions and their realisation at state/territory level, it is argued better proceduralisation through bottom‐up peer dialogue and feedback present alternative routes towards decentralised integration

Autonomy · Centralisation · Commonwealth · Corporate governance · Economics · Federalism · Management · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research

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