The Independent Effect
by Andréa Cullen
In this book you will read case histories of independents throughout our electoral history who best illustrate the independent effect. You will also meet ones who in some instances have gone against the majority views of their sometimes parochial constituents and still survived to be re-elected, such was the trust in which they were held.
Quentin Dempster
Andréa Cullen’s book is very welcome, both in terms of identifying the place and history of independent parliamentarians in parliamentary democracies as well as offering a typology to help make sense of the different forms that exist, rather than simply aggregating them under a singular label. As she makes clear, some ‘Independents’ are more independent than others. The focus is Australia, but the analysis travels well. It makes a valuable contribution to the literature.
Philip Norton (Lord Norton of Louth)
About the author:
Andréa Cullen is a parliamentary scholar based in Australia. Andréa was a UK Hansard Society Scholar in 2013 and recipient of the inaugural Chartered Secretaries Australia—Public Sector Scholarship Award in 2011. She has written on various parliamentary topics including: officers of parliament; public accounts committees; parliamentary strengthening; the art of speaking in parliament; designing for democracy—architectural considerations; and civil society participation in the work of parliaments.
