Far-Right Political Parties in Australia: Disorganisation and Electoral Failure (Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy)

By: Jordan McSwiney

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Synopsis: This book examines how Australian far-right parties organise and operate to better understand their limited electoral success. Australian far-right parties have yet to see results comparable to far-right parties in other contexts. Unlike many of their European counterparts that have made significant electoral gains up to and including participation in national governments, the Australian far-right parties of the ‘fourth wave’ have experienced relatively poor electoral results. But this does not necessarily mean that Australia is uniquely hostile to far-right politics. Focusing particularly on the 2019 Australian federal election, this book takes an organisational approach to better understand why Australian far-right parties struggle electorally. Through the novel lens of disorganised parties, the author argues that the failure to develop a functioning party organisation has resulted in Australian far-right parties being unable to effectively navigate their political environment. By focusing on disorganisation, this book provides a new perspective for understanding the limited electoral impact of the far right in Australia today, despite favourable conditions like normalised Islamophobia and growing dissatisfaction with mainstream parties. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of party politics, the far right, populism, and Australian politics.