How Australia Compares

This book compares Australia with seventeen other developed countries across a wide range of social, economic and political dimensions.

Rodney Tiffen (Author), Ross Gittins (Author)

9780521712453, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 20 October 2009

294 pages
24.4 x 17 x 1.6 cm, 0.47 kg

How Australia Compares is a handy reference that compares Australia with seventeen other developed countries across a wide range of social, economic and political dimensions. Whenever possible, it gives not only snapshot comparisons from the present, but charts trends over recent decades or even longer. Encyclopaedic in scope, it provides statistics for a huge range of human activity, from taxation to traffic accidents, homicide rates to health expenditure, interest rates to internet usage. This new edition is fully revised and updated, and features two new chapters: The Howard Impact and The Search for Scoreboards. New sections include obesity, advertising, broadband internet access, childcare and corruption. Information is highly accessible with double-page spreads for each topic. Tables and graphs are presented on one page, and clear explanation and analysis on the facing page. In each discussion the focus is to put the Australian experience into international perspective, drawing out the implications for the nation's performance, policies and prospects.

1. People
2. Government and politics
3. Economy
4. Work and the labour force
5. Government taxes and spending
6. Health
7. Education
8. Inequality and social welfare
9. International relations
10. Environment
11. Science and technology
12. Telecommunications and computing
13. Media
14. Family
15. Lifestyles and consumption
16. Crime and social problems
17. The search for scoreboards
18. The Howard impact.

Subject Areas: Economics [KC], Politics & government [JP], Population & demography [JHBD], Social research & statistics [JHBC]