The accountability priorities of federal parliamentarians and whether they are reflected in the Commonwealth budgetary and reporting framework. Senate committees provide the main forum in which elected representatives can directly scrutinise the actions of public officials. The project, by providing new detailed evidence about the accountability priorities of Senators, will contribute to ongoing debate about how to improve the quality of information provided by government agencies to Parliament ....The accountability priorities of federal parliamentarians and whether they are reflected in the Commonwealth budgetary and reporting framework. Senate committees provide the main forum in which elected representatives can directly scrutinise the actions of public officials. The project, by providing new detailed evidence about the accountability priorities of Senators, will contribute to ongoing debate about how to improve the quality of information provided by government agencies to Parliament. It will provide a valuable counterbalance to the dominant views of the Department of Finance and Administration which do not necessarily reflect the interests of the wider public. The quality of public information and of democratic governance will therefore be significantly enhanced.Read moreRead less
Enrolling the People: The Development of Modern Electoral Administration. In Australia, electoral administration became centralised, professionalised and relatively free of partisan interference during the colonial period. That considerable achievement has been little studied.
The aims of this project are to produce a history of the development of colonial electoral administration; and to isolate the factors that enabled the development of modern electoral administration.
To answer these q ....Enrolling the People: The Development of Modern Electoral Administration. In Australia, electoral administration became centralised, professionalised and relatively free of partisan interference during the colonial period. That considerable achievement has been little studied.
The aims of this project are to produce a history of the development of colonial electoral administration; and to isolate the factors that enabled the development of modern electoral administration.
To answer these questions will illuminate a neglected aspect of Australia's record of institutional innovation. It will also feed directly into the concerns of multilateral bodies over how good electoral practice can be institutionalised.
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Debating the Impact of International Trade Agreements on Transnational Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Australia, Malaysia, Canada and Greece. In the past decade, education provision across national borders has grown dramatically. However, the governmental frameworks for regulating such programs are yet to solidify, with rival approaches hotly contested. Governments are enmeshed in, and influenced and constrained by existing and emergent regulatory structures and trade agreements at nat ....Debating the Impact of International Trade Agreements on Transnational Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Australia, Malaysia, Canada and Greece. In the past decade, education provision across national borders has grown dramatically. However, the governmental frameworks for regulating such programs are yet to solidify, with rival approaches hotly contested. Governments are enmeshed in, and influenced and constrained by existing and emergent regulatory structures and trade agreements at national, regional and global levels. This project will identify issues of central concern to key actors in four countries with significant involvement in transnational higher education, and analyse how debates in these countries utilise divergent models of likely implications of trade agreements.Read moreRead less
Towards Sustainable Regional Institutions: The Nature, Role and Governance Implications of Contemporary Australian Regionalism. This project is the first-ever national description of Australian regionalism, using insights from political and social science, constitutional theory and public administration. Built on successful pilots, this research will equip government, civil society, development agencies and regional policymakers with a region-by-region picture of the links between spatial varia ....Towards Sustainable Regional Institutions: The Nature, Role and Governance Implications of Contemporary Australian Regionalism. This project is the first-ever national description of Australian regionalism, using insights from political and social science, constitutional theory and public administration. Built on successful pilots, this research will equip government, civil society, development agencies and regional policymakers with a region-by-region picture of the links between spatial variations in political culture, civic trust, social capital and challenges of regional institutional design. This new picture of Australian regional attitudes, expectations and possibilities will contribute directly to national environmental sustainability, sustainable urban and regional development, revitalised regional communities and a stronger social and economic fabric.Read moreRead less
Westminster Transplanted and Westminster Implanted: Explanations for Political Change. Why have Westminster systems,adopted across the world, been so resilient in different environments? By exploring how different nations have adapted the core executive components of Westminster by combining local traditions with inherited practices, the project will identify what conditions provided the stability and security that often emerged. By comparing performance across nations it will explain why Westmi ....Westminster Transplanted and Westminster Implanted: Explanations for Political Change. Why have Westminster systems,adopted across the world, been so resilient in different environments? By exploring how different nations have adapted the core executive components of Westminster by combining local traditions with inherited practices, the project will identify what conditions provided the stability and security that often emerged. By comparing performance across nations it will explain why Westminster practices were so adaptable. This is the first longitudinal study seeking to explain political development in societies that inherited executive practices from the same source. It has the potential to identify how and why future constitutional transplants might succeed.Read moreRead less
Supporting or sabotaging sustainable development? State policy responses to environmental certification schemes. Almost everywhere, forests and fisheries are experiencing degradation and biodiversity loss. Since 1990, governments, industry and civil society organizations have expressed growing interest in market-based instruments for environmentally sustainable development. However, while states support the use of market-based instruments in general, serious problems arise with specific schemes. ....Supporting or sabotaging sustainable development? State policy responses to environmental certification schemes. Almost everywhere, forests and fisheries are experiencing degradation and biodiversity loss. Since 1990, governments, industry and civil society organizations have expressed growing interest in market-based instruments for environmentally sustainable development. However, while states support the use of market-based instruments in general, serious problems arise with specific schemes. This is particular true of environmental certification schemes, several of which have been opposed. Our study will explore the underlying factors that shape government responses to certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors, thereby providing practical policy advice to ensure state institutions support rather than sabotage environmentally sustainable development.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ participation in political parties. This project aims to examine the participation of, leadership opportunities for, and challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians participation in Australia’s major political parties. Working with major political parties, this project encompasses both Australia-wide research and in-depth case studies. The project will provide evidence-based research and policy advice on factors affecting the adva ....Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ participation in political parties. This project aims to examine the participation of, leadership opportunities for, and challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians participation in Australia’s major political parties. Working with major political parties, this project encompasses both Australia-wide research and in-depth case studies. The project will provide evidence-based research and policy advice on factors affecting the advancement of Indigenous Australian party members into leadership roles and the recognised challenge of continued political marginalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in party hierarchies, representative institutions and decision-making processes. This project is expected to understand and help redress a key issue for Australian democracy.Read moreRead less
Parliamentary Careers: Design, Delivery and Evaluation of Improved Professional Development. National/community benefits arise from improved design, delivery and evaluation of professional development programs for parliamentarians, thereby enhancing their central constitutional roles in making laws, approving budgets and holding government policy and administration to account. This innovative cross-disciplinary project generates theoretical and practical understanding concerning the duration, co ....Parliamentary Careers: Design, Delivery and Evaluation of Improved Professional Development. National/community benefits arise from improved design, delivery and evaluation of professional development programs for parliamentarians, thereby enhancing their central constitutional roles in making laws, approving budgets and holding government policy and administration to account. This innovative cross-disciplinary project generates theoretical and practical understanding concerning the duration, content and learning modes of parliamentarians' professional development programs. Australian assistance programs to parliaments in the Pacific will have improved design, delivery and evaluation and be more effective in improving parliamentary performance, national governance and enhanced political stability in Australia's region.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL140100154
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,616,265.00
Summary
Deliberative worlds: democracy, justice and a changing world. Deliberative worlds: democracy, justice and a changing world. In an increasingly complex world the processes of achieving fair, effective and equitable solutions to major problems are under challenge. Deliberative democratic methods, where informed citizen groups are used to make decisions, have been used in many countries to develop effective policy responses to a range of problems. This research will develop the understanding of del ....Deliberative worlds: democracy, justice and a changing world. Deliberative worlds: democracy, justice and a changing world. In an increasingly complex world the processes of achieving fair, effective and equitable solutions to major problems are under challenge. Deliberative democratic methods, where informed citizen groups are used to make decisions, have been used in many countries to develop effective policy responses to a range of problems. This research will develop the understanding of deliberative democratic processes and test their applicability and capacity to address issues such as global justice and environmental governance in settings of deep cultural difference. The knowledge gained will inform political theory and contribute to world-wide efforts to solve international policy problems.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354573
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
To develop an Indigenous Governance Research Network. This initiative is the first national attempt at networking research in the emerging field of Indigenous Governance. The aim is to develop a collaborative and productive research network on Indigenous Governance, well informed by expertise from Australia and internationally.
The Network aims, using best technology, to enable researchers and practitioners to share expertise; facilitate inter-disciplinary collaboration; develop research too ....To develop an Indigenous Governance Research Network. This initiative is the first national attempt at networking research in the emerging field of Indigenous Governance. The aim is to develop a collaborative and productive research network on Indigenous Governance, well informed by expertise from Australia and internationally.
The Network aims, using best technology, to enable researchers and practitioners to share expertise; facilitate inter-disciplinary collaboration; develop research tools; disseminate best practice; and mentor the development of young researchers.
The Network will be unique - nationally and internationally. Expected outcomes include, improved research practice; enhanced understanding of the components of Indigenous governance; practical application of research findings; and enhanced governance capacity.
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