Dean Harold Jaensch (27 October 1936 – 17 January 2022) was an Australian

political scientist Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

and a Professor of Political and International Studies at The Flinders University of South Australia. Jaensch was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

and

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

. He wrote many highly regarded books (14) on political parties, electoral politics and voting behaviour in Australian politics, and also focussed on

South Australian South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and Northern Territory politics,

federalism Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments ( provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single ...

within the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in different sources vary, t ...

and empirical methodology. He lectured at Flinders University from the early 1970s until retirement in 2001. He was an adjunct Professor with the Department of Politics and Public Policy. For decades he was a prominent political commentator/ psephologist for the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owne ...

and a frequent contributor to local radio in South Australia. Jaensch was also a columnist for '' The Advertiser'' newspaper and an occasional lecturer at Flinders University. He spoke on public affairs and the machinations of State and national government. Jaensch advocated for

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

and an end to

compulsory voting in Australia The Australian electoral system comprises the laws and processes used for the election of members of the Parliament of Australia, Australian Parliament and is governed primarily by the ''Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918''. The system presently ...

(though not necessarily compulsory enrolment). Jaensch was created an

officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours list for service to education and politics. Jaensch was married to Helen, and had three children. He died on 17 January 2022, at the age of 85.

Selected bibliography

* ''A Plague On Both Your Houses: Minor Parties in Australia'', Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1998 (with David Mathieson). * ''Power Politics: Australia's Party System'', 3rd ed., Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1994. * ''The Liberals'', Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1994. * ''The Politics of Australia'', Macmillan, Melbourne, 1992.

References

External links

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Dean Jaensch

Flinders University: Profile of Dean Jaensch
1936 births 2022 deaths People from Adelaide Australian columnists Australian political scientists University of Adelaide alumni Australian people of German descent Officers of the Order of Australia {{polisci-bio-stub