State politics continues to receive less scholarly attention than its significance in Australia’s system of government warrants. Narratives about the centralisation of power in the federal government have been deeply influential but tend to underestimate both the historical importance of subnational government and the role, in recent years, of State and Territory governments in leading some policy innovation with national implications and applications. Patterns of party performance in State and Territory politics have varied across jurisdictions as well as between the federal sphere and the subnational level: in general, Labor has performed better in the States and Territories, non-Labor in federal government. There have been significant shifts across time in the performances of parties in State and Territory jurisdictions; notably, traditional areas of non-Labor strength, such as Victoria and South Australia, have now become Labor-dominated. Various factors account for patterns of party performance: electoral systems, political economy, political tradition and leadership have each played a part. The COVID-19 pandemic was revealing of the entanglement of State and Territory government in the everyday lives of Australians and its potential power in relation to some issues.