Quarterly Essay 71: Follow the Leader cover art

Quarterly Essay 71: Follow the Leader

Democracy and the Rise of the Strongman

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Quarterly Essay 71: Follow the Leader

By: Laura Tingle
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
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About this listen

What has gone wrong with political leadership in Australia? And are things likely to change with a change of leader or government? In this crisp and timely essay, Laura Tingle examines political leadership in general - some profiles in courage and cunning - as well as styles of leadership. She looks at Macron and Merkel, Keating and Obama.

Tingle notes that leaders must command not only their country but also their party. Where does this leave Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten? She observes that Turnbull came to power seeking to do the opposite of everything Tony Abbott did, but neither leader’s approach has been seen as a success. Why? And what can Australia’s next Prime Minister learn from this?

©2018 Laura Tingle (P)2018 Audible, Ltd Political Science Politics & Government Leadership Socialism Liberalism Capitalism
All stars
Most relevant
Well written and very informative. Historically accurate and well researched. A good read given the current political climate.

Great Essay

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Laura Tingle has written a very interesting and timely piece. I enjoyed it immensely except for one criticism... I found the readers accent to be completely wrong for 1) an Aust political essay and 2) so unlike Laura Tingles true Aust accent. I found the english??? accent of Deidre Rubenstein off putting and initially hard to concentrate on the storyline.

Well argued essay

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Deidre’s reading, whilst very different to Laura’s own previous readings was quite clear.
The view are structured and reasoned. The historical comparisons are fair.
The reading of the Turnbull and Trump transcript, whilst it makes the point, is frightening in it’s content.
Looking forward to a true leader emerging sooner rather than later and praying for ScoMo in the meantime. Not sue we’re giving him a fair go due to his path to the lodge.
Thanks again Laura.

A good story, well told.

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very disappointing, particularly since Ms Tingles last essay was so evenly balanced. In my opinion she has fallen into the very short term hysterical, almost wishful thinking approach to media and politics, she cautions against at the start of this essay and all through her last one. This is particularly apparent with her hyperbolic analysis of Trump. Every other leader she uses as yardsticks are all looked at within the prism of history and in most cases decades of time passed for assessment. At the time of this essay Trump has been in power 2 years, how is she capable of such sweeping statements on him and even if Trump was to implement his entire manifesto, very little will change...unlike many of the other leaders she brushes over with almost no critical review, like Putin and Ping, they're both oppressing there people, journos and neighbors, yet somehow Trump is the biggest threat to leadership and democracy. I am not writing this as a pro or anti Trump person, I am writing as someone who is educated and sick of reading partisan rubbish dressed up as analysis, it's really sad and unfortunately Ms Tingle is no better than any of the other commentators she so clearly distanced herself from in her previous essay, a real shame.

More Trump Hysteria Dressed up as Fact

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.