Measuring the performance of Australian politicians: an exploratory study

The objective of this research was to understand the issues involved in measuring the performance of Australian politicians. Evidence from two surveys and a number of interviews with current and former politicians revealed that political performance is subjective. Political performance includes both political outcomes and public approval while different measures of success apply in different contexts. Politicians contend that the differences between each constituent's, stakeholder's and politician's needs, beliefs, values and political views, even within the same political party, makes it difficult for others to accurately assess their performance, creating high levels of conflict, secrecy and ambiguity.