The prime ministership is indisputably the most closely observed and keenly contested office in Australia. How did it grow to become the pivot of national political power? Settling the Office chronicles the development of the prime ministership from its rudimentary early days following Federation through to the powerful, institutionalised prime-ministerial leadership of the postwar era.

Paul Strangio (Author) Paul Strangio is Associate Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University. A political historian and biographer, he has written extensively about political leadership and political parties in Australia. One of his recent books is Neither Power Nor Glory: 100 Years of Political Labor in Victoria, 1856-1956 (2012). Paul has also been a long-time commentator on Australian politics in the print and electronic media. Paul 't Hart (Author) Paul 't Hart is Professor of Public Administration, Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. A former professor of political science at the Australian National University, since 2007 Paul has been a core faculty member of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He writes about political and public service leadership, crisis management, policy evaluation and public accountability. His latest book is Understanding Public Leadership (2014). James Walter (Author) James Walter is Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has published widely on biography, political psychology, leadership, political thought and policy deliberation. His recent books include, Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance: Comparative Perspectives (2013, with Paul Strangio and Paul 't Hart) and What Were They Thinking? The Politics of Ideas in Australia (2010).