| Abstract: | A number of recent writings from federalist scholars have been critical of the coordinate approach to Australian federalism adopted by Commonwealth and state authorities since the Special Premiers’ Conference of 1990. The likely outcome of a coordinate rather than concurrent stance, they suggest, is dominance by one government in a policy sphere and the attenuation of many of the positive and creative elements offered by a federal structure. This article involves a case study of higher education which supports the concerns of the federalists. It is argued that since the introduction of a coordinate framework in 1987–88, buttressed by managerialist principles, the Commonwealth has succeeded in gaining almost complete control over a policy arena that was previously shared with the states. One consequence of this outcome has been a deterioration in the quality of policy formulation and implementation. |
