Jonathan O’Dea | Sydney Morning Herald | 30 April 2014 Following more explosive revelations from the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday, Premier Mike Baird has identified political lobbying and election campaign funding as major issues for our state government. He has indicated support for tighter regulation of lobbyists and public funding of election campaigns....
Decision accuracy in complex environments is often maximized by small group sizes
Authors: Albert B. Kao and Iain D. Couzin, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University Abstract Individuals in groups, whether composed of humans or other animal species, often make important decisions collectively, including avoiding predators, selecting a direction in which to migrate and electing political leaders. Theoretical and empirical work suggests that collective decisions...Continue reading
Penn State Democracy Institute
Each year, starting in 2014, the Penn State Democracy Institute gives a medal and $5,000 award for exceptional innovations that advance the design and practice of democracy. The medal celebrates and helps to publicize the best work being done to advance democracy in the United States or around the globe. The Institute gives medals in...
SMH | Opinion | Luca Belgiorno-Nettis
Forget democracy, we need a new way to govern Sydney Morning Herald, April 22, 2014 Ten years ago, in 2004, I decided to jump off the merry-go-round of political party fund-raisers. I found both the rubber chicken and the political offering equally unappetising. My Liberal and Labor party hosts, on the other hand, seemed perfectly...
Daily Telegraph News Local: Citizens’ Jury appointed by Sydney council comes up with 25 recommendations for a safer city
By JAMES GORMAN A GREATER variety of entertainment options for different age groups is one of the key recommendations made by a citizens’ jury looking into Sydney’s troubled night-life. In September last year, the City of Sydney formed the jury, made up of 43 randomly selected citizens from across the city. The jurors met five...Continue reading
City of Canada Bay Policy Panel (2014)
The City of Canada Bay has once again appointed the Foundation to conduct a citizens’ Policy Panel to provide policy advice to Council on lease conditions fair for the proposed use where Council-owned buildings are formally leased to third parties for their sole use on a discounted or subsidised community basis. The City of Canada...Continue reading
The A, B + C of Democracy
My parents used to have a book called “World History” which I flicked through every now and again. It was not a happy read: one war after war, one king after another. A Game of Thrones. It made me think about how we got to be so peaceful today, living a happy life in Sydney. ...Continue reading
Geoff Gallop. Manning Clark Lecture. 3 March 2014
On March 3 2014 Geoff Gallop delivered the Manning Clark Lecture in Canberra, making the case for a new way forward for the Australian Republican Movement through the use of deliberative democracy. The ‘third republic’ – as Geoff calls it – would be more likely to be achieved if those advocating change would be willing...
newDemocracy Meets the US State Department
The US State Department conducts an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) which enables a small group of Australian citizens (MPs and people like us!) to have an experience with academics, government representatives, NGOs, United Nations staff and elected representatives in the United States. It’s a way to share ideas and make contacts, and is generously...Continue reading
2UE’S Angela Catterns talks newDemocracy
Angela Catterns from 2UE interviews our Executive Director, Iain Walker (0.00 – 8.20) and Citizen Juror, Pino Santangelo (9.45 – 16.17). Iain talks about the work of newDemocracy generally and Pino reflects on his experience as a juror on the current Citizens’ Policy Jury on a Vibrant and Safe Sydney Nightlife. If you’d like to...