theory, and had simply been adapted to American circumstances, they might also be adapted to Australian circumstances. Thus, Bryce's approach to American federalism allowed Australia's founders to substitute their own colonial tradition of parliamentary democracy under the Crown for the republican principles of rights and the separation of powers that underlie the U.S. Constitution. James Bryce's The American Commonwealth shaped the Australian founders' understanding of federalism. The novelty of Bryce's work was that it anglicized the United States Constitution for the Australian audience. Concentrating on the practical workings of American federalism, rather than on its historical and philosophical development, Bryce represented federal institutions as essentially English institutions adapted to American circumstances. Bryce was sincere. Although he shunned republican political philosophy, The American Commonwealth was no prejudiced rendition of the U. S. Constitution. Bryce presented U. S. institutions as reflections of British institutions because, embracing the scientific spirit of the late nineteenth century, he believed that the study of constitutional politics should have little to do with political philosophy. For Bryce, political institutions were enduring, whereas political ideas were relative to particular times and places. In effect, Bryce described the federal institutions of the United States as developments of both the state constitutions and the British constitution because he sought a rational basis for American government outside the realm of philosophy. The utility of Bryce's approach was that it introduced Australia's founders to federal institutions through pragmatic English eyes. By the time of the first federal conference in 1891, the Australian colonies had been selfAUTHOR'S NOTE: I wish to acknowledge the support and assistance of Brian Galligan, David Tucker, and Derek McDougall of the University of Melbourne. I am also indebted to the helpful advice ofJohn Kincaid and the two anonymous reviewers. ? Publius: TheJournal of Federalism 31:4 (Fall 2001)