Multi-level governance and the emergence of collaborative federal institutions in Australia

This article looks at recent changes in political-administrative relationsh ips in the intergovernmental arenas of the Australian federal political sys tem. Some of the major structural tensions in these arenas of multi-level g overnance are identified, and some of the main problem areas for the conduc t of effective problem solving are highlighted. Changes in some of these st ructural elements are considered to be a result of greater entanglement and closer collaboration between state and commonwealth governments, and three possible explanatory models for understanding the changes are considered. These changes are set in a context of wider administrative reforms in the c onstituent state and commonwealth governments. Two case studies are also gi ven, each drawn from data collected as part of an ongoing research project on intergovernmental relations. The article concludes with a review of the explanatory power of the models of change, and a brief comment on the evolv ing character of multi-level governance in the federation.