In a tense and dangerous international environment, this book looks at the important question of how Australia deals with the outside world. It describes the role of the government departments and intelligence organisations that support the government‚s policy-making, and the thinking of the people who make it, in more detail than ever before. It discusses the processes, institutions, actors and calculations involved in foreign policy making in Australia, and how these have changed under the impact of globalisation. It draws on an extensive survey - the first ever - of how Australian foreign affairs officials think about the world, includes case studies of four recent Australian foreign policy initiatives, and concludes by speculating on the challenges ahead for Australian foreign policy making.

‘This is the first book of its kind on the making and makers of Australia's foreign policy. It is a book that will be valuable to students of diplomacy and to the general reader interested in our International Relations.’

Michelle Grattan

'This work is a refreshing addition to the literature on Australian foreign policy. The book is welcomingly frank at times … this work is a welcome addition to the literature and it will be a valuable teaching tool.'

Source: Lawasia