James Bryce: Englishness and Federalism in America and Australia

Abstract

That the Constitution of the United States served as a model for the Australian federation is well established, and is in any case evident from the resemblance of federal institutions between the two countries. Yet substantial differences remain, largely through the determination of the Australian founders to retain the parliamentary heritage of the Westminster system of government. It has been pointed out that James Bryce's lavish expositions of the American federation distorted American realities when they were viewed through uncompromisingly English lenses. It was Bryce's version of the American federation that allowed the Australian founders to accommodate their new creation to the English legacy. However, in Bryce's acclaimed comparative work, his overriding aim was to promote the abiding excellence of English institutions.