I recently read "Political Order and Political Decay" by Francis Fukuyama. One of his many historial anecdotes is why Costa Rica was the only Latin American nation was able build inself a well functioning democracy. It seems the competing political actors of that nation at that time were able work things out rather than fight for power.

When the current system cannot find the right political actors, that (to me) is a sign the system is not as strong as it seems to be.

This review suggests that Australian history was being too much left in the hands of a few individuals--who just happened to be in power at the right time. Whether that is good history or bad history is another story.