Professor Patapan’s research interests are in democratic theory and practice, political philosophy, political leadership and comparative constitutionalism. In his recent work Professor Patapan examines the nature of leadership and judgment in democracies, a theme he has explored in the co-authored book The Democratic Leader (OUP, 2012) as well as the co-edited collections Dispersed Democratic Leadership (OUP, 2009) and Good Democratic Leadership (OUP, 2014). Machiavelli in Love is a unique and fascinating book that will appeal to students and scholars in fields as diverse as intellectual history, philosophy, and political science.

Political Theory

2018. ‘The Modern Politics of Honor’. Contemporary Political Theory. 17 (14), 459-477.
2017. “The Politics of Immortality: Hobbes on ‘Humane and Divine Politiques’. Political Theology. Vol. 18, 60-77.
2013. “Leviathan’s Children: On the Origins of Modern Hospitality”. In Hospitality and World Politics. Gideon Baker ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 21-40.
2008 “Love and the Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes’ Critique of Platonic Eros” (with J. Sikkenga). Political Theory: An International Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 36, No. 6, 803-826.
2003. “I Capitoli: Machiavelli’s New Theogony”. The Review of Politics 65: 2, 185-207.
2003. “Melancholy and Amnesia: Tocqueville’s Influence on Australian Democratic Theory”. Australian Journal of Politics and History. 43: 1-16
2001. “Educating Devils: Theoretical Reflections on Ethics and Governance”. In Motivating Ministers to Morality. Jenny Fleming and Ian Holland (eds). Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, 21-36.
2000. “Lord Over the Children of Pride: The Vaine-Glorious Rhetoric of Hobbes’ Leviathan”. Philosophy and Rhetoric 33, 1: 74-93.
1998. “All’s Fair in Love and War: Machiavelli’s Clizia”. History of Political Thought. XIX: 4 531-551.

Chinese Politics and Constitutionalism

2017. ‘The Hidden Ruler: Wang Huning and the making of Contemporary China’ (with Yi Wang) Journal of Contemporary China 27, 47-60.
2016. “Contesting Legitimacy in China: The Politics of Law in Modern Chinese Jurisprudence” (with Libin Xie). Hong Kong Law Journal Vol. 46, Part 3, 991-1016.
2015. “Towards a Cosmopolitan Constitutionalism: On universalism and particularism in Chinese constitutionalism”. The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law 3, 1, 78-96.
2011. “Triumph of the West? The Politics of Legitimacy in Asia”. Australian Journal of International Affairs Vol 65, Issue 4, 1-12.
2006. “Friends and Citizens: Changing Foundations of Modern Community” (in Chinese). In The Concept of ‘Public’ and Citizenship in Comparative Perspectives, Liu Qin Ed. Nanjing: Jiangsu Renmin Publishers, 172-186. Reprint of 2003 article in Societas: A Journal for Philosophical Study of Public Affairs 6: 1-26.

Federalism and Public Policy

2017. “Morality Policy and Federalism: Innovation, Diffusion, Limits” (with Robyn Hollander). Publius: The Journal of Federalism. 47 (1): 1-26.
2009. “Australian Federalism: An Innovation in Constitutionalism”. In The Ashgate Research Companion to Federalism, Ann Ward and Lee Ward eds. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 485-502.
2007. “Pragmatic Federalism: Australian Federalism from Hawke to Howard” (with R. Hollander). Australian Journal of Public Administration, 66, 3: 280-297.
2006. “In Search of Prudence: The Hidden Problem of Managerial Reform” (with J. Kane). Public Administration Review. 66, 5: 711-724. Awarded the 2007 Mosher Award (see above under Awards).
2005. “The Forgotten Founding: Civics Education, the Common Law and Liberal Constitutionalism in Australia”. Griffith Law Review 14, 1: 91- 107.
2001. “Federation and National Identity in Canada and Australia: A Comparative Perspective” (with J. Kane). Melbourne Journal of Politics, The Federation Issue, 27: 29-48.
1999. “Separation of Powers in Australia”. Australian Journal of Political Science 34, 3: 391-407.
2000. “Politics of Interpretation” Sydney Law Review, 22, 2: 247-272.
1997. “Competing Visions of Liberalism: Theoretical Underpinnings of the Bill of Rights Debate in Australia”. Melbourne University Law Review, 21: 2, 497-514.
1997. “The Dead Hand of the Founders? Original Intent and the Constitutional Protection of Rights and Freedoms in Australia”. Federal Law Review 25: 2, 211-236.
1997. “The Author of Liberty: Dicey, Mill and the Shaping of English Constitutionalism”. Public Law Review, 8: 4, 256-269.
1996. “Rewriting Australian Liberalism: The High Court’s Jurisprudence of Rights”. Australian Journal of Political Science, 31: 2, 225-242.

Technology and Science

2016 “Drifting to New Worlds: On Politics and Science in Modern Biotechnology”, In Policy Legitimacy, Science and Political Authority: Knowledge and action in Liberal Democracies Michael Heazle and John Kane eds. Routledge, 165-184
2016 “Good Public Policy: On the Interaction of Political and Expert Authority” (with John Kane and Michael Heazle) In Policy Legitimacy, Science and Political Authority: Knowledge and action in Liberal Democracies Michael Heazle and John Kane eds. Routledge, 1-16.
2014. “A New Republic of Letters? The Promise and Potential of the Internet” (with John Kane). In Handbook of Research on Political Activism in the Information Age. Ashu M. G. Solo ed. Hershey, PA.: IGI Global, 351-363.
2002. “The Theory and Practice of E-democracy: Agency, Trusteeship and Participation on the Web” (with P. Bishop and J. Kane). International Review of Public Administration, 7:2, 21-31.
2002. “E-Democracy: Technological Challenges to Democratic Theory” (with P. Bishop and J. Kane). Australasian Parliamentary Review 17: 59-72.
Leadership
2016. “Magnanimous Leadership: Edmund Barton and the Australian Founding” Leadership and Humanities, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2016, pp. 1–20.
2013. “Modern Philosopher Kings: Lee Kuan Yew and the Limits of Confucian ‘Idealistic’ Leadership” European Journal of East Asian Studies 12, 217-241.
2010. “The Artless Art: Leadership and the Limits of Democratic Rhetoric” (with J. Kane) Australian Journal of Political Science, 45: 3, 371-389. Awarded the Mayer Prize in 2011 (see above, under awards).
2008. “The Democratic Leader: How Democracy Defines Leadership”. In Islam Beyond Conflict: Indonesian Islam and Western Political Theory, Azyumardi Azra and Wayne Hudson eds. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, 65-77.

International Relations

2012. ‘Democratic International Relations: Montesquieu and the theoretical foundations of Democratic Peace Theory’ Australian Journal of International Affairs Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 313-329.
2011. “Dangerous Passions: Glory and Honor in International Relations”. Air and Space Power Journal – Africa and Francophonie Vol 2, Issue 3, 54-74 (US Air Force journal; in French and English). http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/apjinternational/aspj_a_f.asp
2009. “The Glorious Sovereign: Thomas Hobbes’ understanding of leadership and international relations.” In British International Thinkers from Hobbes to Namier, Ian Hall & Lisa Hill (eds.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 11-33.