As citizens, we decide whether governments deserve to be rewarded, punished or replaced – often with imperfect information. The First Albanese Government offers a clear‑eyed account, as Labor proceeds through its second term, of its first: the reforms, missteps and limits.

As a political scientist, I am – by training and instinct – in the business of criticising political parties. That usually means cataloguing failure, inconsistency and over-promising. But this book pushed me to realise how narrow the space for governing has become within a single term.

Review: The First Albanese Government: Governing in an Age of Disruption and Division, 2022–2025, edited by John Hawkins, Michelle Grattan and John Halligan (New South)

Chief political correspondent at The Conversation, Michelle Grattan, asks in her essay: how hard is it to govern? Contemporary governments face extraordinary changes and complexities.

The recent surge of populism – reflected in support for One Nation – is one. Then there’s our fragmented public square, pressure for instant answers in a fast-moving news cycle, and communication technologies such as social media, which facilitate governing but industrialise misinformation and intimidation.

Add in Australia’s short federal terms and the logic of permanent campaigning, reinforced by constant polling and media churn, and it’s easy to see why ministers can become burdened by performance at the expense of deep policy work.

The electorate’s increasing share of young voters, I think, adds to these challenges. Younger voters are often more willing to shop around beyond the major parties – sometimes across ideologically strange combinations – and more willing to punish than to commit.

Given these challenges, how did the first Albanese government perform, and what can we expect from its second term?

This book’s greatest contribution is its careful evidence and disciplined judgement. It assesses the changing composition of Australia’s parliaments, evaluates the government’s performance across key policy areas, and........

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