POLITICAL REFORM I work in a family company involved in urban infrastructure. I’m no political science student and, up until relatively recently, have had no real interest in politics. My main interaction with politicians was through the regular rounds of party political campaign lunches and dinners. I was a regular invitee, as a businessman/potential donor....Continue reading
Read the Panel’s recommendations here. Participatory budgeting processes traditionally focus on a component of discretionary budget – such as a representative’s ability to ringfence a couple of million dollars for community facilities. However, in many ways the larger challenge in budgeting is the dominance of interest groups coupled with the capacity to present any and...Continue reading
In South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill has continued to use the Citizens Jury methodology as a way of hearing a community view in policy areas where organised – and polarised – advocacy groups can drown out all other voices. Consistent with our position of not working to repeat past methodologies, in this case NDF was...
Authors: Mann, C.; Voß, J.-P.; Amelung, N.; Simons, A.; Runge, T.; Grabner, L.: Innovation in Governance Research Group, Department of Sociology, Technische Universität (TU) Berlin Abstract: This report emerged from the workshop “Challenging futures of citizen panels”, held by the Innovation in Governance Research Group on April 26, 2013, at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and...Continue reading
Authors: Ortwin Renn, Thomas Webler, Horst Rakel, Peter Dienel and Branden Johnson (Policy Sciences 26: 189-214, 1993) Abstract: This report introduces a novel model of public participation in political decisions, based on three simple steps.
By Beverly Parungao As a slew of ICAC inquiries tear through NSW politics, a group of experts pitch their ideas to fix government. Do these plans have merit, and are there other proposals that should be pushed? Beverly Parungao writes. The St James Ethics Centre held a major debate on July 1st on ways to...Continue reading
From the Newsletter of the Southern Highlands Branch of the Labor Party, May 2014 Times like these make it hard for anyone to maintain their faith in the liberating power of politics. Current events remind us that politics creates space for idealists who seek the greatest good for the greatest number as well as...
Faced with public dissatisfaction and demonstrations about the financing of political parties in 2011, Estonian MPs initial solutions to the problems did not address the public’s anger, and in 2012 a decision was taken to establish a process for the public to deliberate on donations to political parties and related electoral laws. A website was...Continue reading
The author argues that scholars can best advance public dialogue and deliberation by conducting systematic research on practical innovations that have the potential to improve political discourse. The author explains and justifies this position through a personal narrative that recounts formative experiences with debate, group dialogue, political campaigns, academic research, and electoral reform. Full Article...Continue reading
Moorebank Intermodal Company (MIC) was established by the Australian Government to oversee the development of a freight terminal at Moorebank. The terminal will improve the distribution of freight arriving in Sydney through Port Botany and on the interstate rail network. The terminal will benefit the NSW and Australian economy but it will also have an...Continue reading