In 1951 the Australian Gvernment sought by referendum power to suppress the Australian Communist Party and to remove Communists from office in the trade unions. Leicester Webb's brilliant survey of the referendum campaign is both a study of a democratic community grappling with the Communist problem and a lively picture of Australian democracy in action. It throws light on party politics in Australia, on the Australian parliamentary system, and on the relationship between churches and politics. Because the study is the first detailed analysis of a major political conflict in Australia, it will have a lasting interest for students of Australian politics. But its wider interest lies in its discussino of problems which are common to all democracies - problems such as the handling of political issues by the press, the use of broadcasting for political ends, and limitations of the referendum process. (Inside cover)
