Sir Otto Niemeyer,the bankrupt state and the federal system

One of the main myths about Australian political and economic history relates to the intervention in economic policy making in the 1930s by the Bank of England through the mission of Sir Otto Niemeyer. This article argues that Niemeyer's advice was not heeded. Rather, parallels between what he demanded and the Premiers’ Plan were largely confined to the level of rhetoric as part of a strategy to regain access to the London capital market. State expenditures were reduced gradually according to local political calculations and fiscal priorities, and not in step with the timetable set by the Bank of England. Far from weakening and dividing the Australian state, the federal separation of powers led to the gradual introduction of fiscal austerity, as state governments had little option but to maintain their role in complementing capital accumulation and facilitating social legitimation.     

Business,empire and the United Australia party

This article presents an analysis of the political economy of the United Australia Party (UAP) mainly while in government There are discussions of decisions and policies relating to tariffs, the exchange rate and trade relations with the United Kingdom. Through four case studies of policy‐making it deals with two interrelated aspects of this political economy. The first aspect focuses on conflicts between key business groupings and how UAP government policies were shaped in part by a need to negotiate compromises between these business groupings in the context of wider economic problems. The second aspect deals with relations between the UAP government and British manufacturers and banks. It shows that Australian politicians and institutions possessed considerable independence and bargaining power.     

Modernity,legitimation and the Soviet imperial state

Charles W. Kegley Jr. and Pat McGowan, (eds) Foreign Policy USA/USSR, Beverly Hills, Sage Publications, 1982, pp. 320. $25, $12.50 (paper)

David Holloway The Soviet Union and the Arms Race, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1983, pp. 211. $28.50

T. H. Rigby and Ferenc Feher (eds) Political Legitimation in Communist States, London and Bas‐ingstoke, Macmillan, 1982, pp. 177. $20

George W. Breslauer Khrushchev and Brezhnev as Leaders: Building Authority in Soviet Politics, London, George Allen and Unwin, 1982, pp. 318. $39.95, $18.95 (paper)

Y. V. Andropov, Speeches and Writings, Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1983, pp. 262. $30.00