Openness in China under the WTO Regime: the Case of Dingzhou. The project will contribute to a better understanding in Australia of openness in local China, in particular, and sociopolical change in China and the globalization process in general. In doing so, it will to add to Australia's international reputation as a major centre of research on China and as a leader in research socio-political change at the local level. It is also likely to benefit bilateral trade by providing useful informatio ....Openness in China under the WTO Regime: the Case of Dingzhou. The project will contribute to a better understanding in Australia of openness in local China, in particular, and sociopolical change in China and the globalization process in general. In doing so, it will to add to Australia's international reputation as a major centre of research on China and as a leader in research socio-political change at the local level. It is also likely to benefit bilateral trade by providing useful information to those in Australia who wish to do business in China, especially in small cities like Dingzhou and rural areas. Read moreRead less
Agriculture, politics and trade: Understanding Japan's reform processes and prospects. Japan's continuing agricultural trade liberalisation is essential to Australia's future export prospects in Asia because Japan is Australia's largest export market for agricultural products. By assessing the nature and strength of key domestic factors encouraging reform of Japan's agricultural trade policy, the research will advance knowledge about an area of Japanese political economy that directly affects Au ....Agriculture, politics and trade: Understanding Japan's reform processes and prospects. Japan's continuing agricultural trade liberalisation is essential to Australia's future export prospects in Asia because Japan is Australia's largest export market for agricultural products. By assessing the nature and strength of key domestic factors encouraging reform of Japan's agricultural trade policy, the research will advance knowledge about an area of Japanese political economy that directly affects Australia's trade position and commercial policy. This knowledge will provide intellectual support to the design of current and future Australian multilateral and bilateral trade bargaining strategies at the World Trade Organization and in relation to the Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement respectively. Read moreRead less
Debating Democracy: Political Rhetoric in New South Wales 1856–1890. This project will highlight the innovatory nature of democracy in colonial Australia, by establishing the nature of the relationship between political ideas, political language and political practice in one of the first liberal democracies of the modern world. In so doing it will enable a new and detailed picture to emerge of the type of political society that liberalism and democracy created in colonial Australia. As the first ....Debating Democracy: Political Rhetoric in New South Wales 1856–1890. This project will highlight the innovatory nature of democracy in colonial Australia, by establishing the nature of the relationship between political ideas, political language and political practice in one of the first liberal democracies of the modern world. In so doing it will enable a new and detailed picture to emerge of the type of political society that liberalism and democracy created in colonial Australia. As the first comprehensive study of political rhetoric in Australian history, this project will facilitate a new understanding of the distinctiveness of Australian political language and Australian political culture.Read moreRead less
The Politics of Transition in China, 1972-1982. The project provides a new interpretation of the elite politics behind one of the most remarkable transformations within a continuing political system in the late 20th century?the crucial period of transition between the radical late Mao era and the reform program of the 1980s. It thus examines several of the least researched, in any sustained in-depth sense, and, as a consequence, poorly understood periods of elite politics in the People's Republi ....The Politics of Transition in China, 1972-1982. The project provides a new interpretation of the elite politics behind one of the most remarkable transformations within a continuing political system in the late 20th century?the crucial period of transition between the radical late Mao era and the reform program of the 1980s. It thus examines several of the least researched, in any sustained in-depth sense, and, as a consequence, poorly understood periods of elite politics in the People's Republic of China.Read moreRead less
Creating Public Opinion: Polls, the Press and Australian Politics since the 1940s. Opinion polls, commissioned regularly by the press since the 1940s and by political parties since the 1960s, have altered our understandings of public opinion, affected the way politics is reported, and transformed the ways in which political leaders act and the parties campaign. Until now, none of this has been properly documented or effectively analysed. This project will help those involved in public opinion re ....Creating Public Opinion: Polls, the Press and Australian Politics since the 1940s. Opinion polls, commissioned regularly by the press since the 1940s and by political parties since the 1960s, have altered our understandings of public opinion, affected the way politics is reported, and transformed the ways in which political leaders act and the parties campaign. Until now, none of this has been properly documented or effectively analysed. This project will help those involved in public opinion research, political journalism, and parliamentary politics to reflect on the strength and weaknesses of their practices. It will allow others in the community to understand what has changed, how it has changed, and why.Read moreRead less
Securing Freedom. Political Speech in Australia. This project will strengthen Australians' ability to secure their own freedom through enhancing and maintaining a stronger civic culture. Political speech is vital to the health of Australian democracy. By considering political speech in practice, this project will show the wide extent of political freedoms and thus democratic practice in Australia today. It will also outline some areas where the freedom may be at risk. In an era where political f ....Securing Freedom. Political Speech in Australia. This project will strengthen Australians' ability to secure their own freedom through enhancing and maintaining a stronger civic culture. Political speech is vital to the health of Australian democracy. By considering political speech in practice, this project will show the wide extent of political freedoms and thus democratic practice in Australia today. It will also outline some areas where the freedom may be at risk. In an era where political freedoms can be perceived to be at risk due to the need to ensure national security, this project will harmonise and reconcile national security needs with the democratic values of Australian society.Read moreRead less
Globalisation's Impact on the Government-Business Relationship: A Theoretical and Multi-Country Study. This project will explain why states in many contexts are developing more collaborative relationships with business (both domestic and transnational), contrary to the expectations of globalisation theory. It will develop a novel perspective on globalisation that recognises its potential to ?enable? and not merely to ?constrain? the state's capacities for industrial governance, and explain why s ....Globalisation's Impact on the Government-Business Relationship: A Theoretical and Multi-Country Study. This project will explain why states in many contexts are developing more collaborative relationships with business (both domestic and transnational), contrary to the expectations of globalisation theory. It will develop a novel perspective on globalisation that recognises its potential to ?enable? and not merely to ?constrain? the state's capacities for industrial governance, and explain why states tend to become more, not less, important to social life as economic interdependence rises and vulnerability increases. It will offer a new conceptualisation of state transformation by identifying the conditions under which globalisation creates pressures for increased public-private coordination of economic upgrading.Read moreRead less
Assessing the Role of Political and Regulatory Risks for Foreign Investors: A Multi-Country Study of Four Industry Sectors. This project will benefit Australian enterprise engaged in investment activities in Asia by providing them with the necessary methodological and analytical systems to identify, measure and assess political and regulatory risks to their investment interests. By doing so, the project will increase the investment transparency of Asia's emerging economies and thus the ability ....Assessing the Role of Political and Regulatory Risks for Foreign Investors: A Multi-Country Study of Four Industry Sectors. This project will benefit Australian enterprise engaged in investment activities in Asia by providing them with the necessary methodological and analytical systems to identify, measure and assess political and regulatory risks to their investment interests. By doing so, the project will increase the investment transparency of Asia's emerging economies and thus the ability of Australian enterprise to operate efficiently in institutionally complex and competitive offshore environments. This will benefit Australia's economy by strengthening Australia's national economic security and the safety of Australia's national savings invested in the region.Read moreRead less
Neo-liberalism and the Decline of Democratic Governance: A Problem of Institutional Design? How well Australia's democracy is working is critical both for national policy making and for citizenship. Many scholars argue that populism is in the ascendant, political parties have weakened and that public confidence in political leaders has diminished. This project will provide an authoritative test of these propositions. If they are established, it will identify the ways democratic governance can be ....Neo-liberalism and the Decline of Democratic Governance: A Problem of Institutional Design? How well Australia's democracy is working is critical both for national policy making and for citizenship. Many scholars argue that populism is in the ascendant, political parties have weakened and that public confidence in political leaders has diminished. This project will provide an authoritative test of these propositions. If they are established, it will identify the ways democratic governance can be renewed.Read moreRead less
Governing vs. opposition parties and the global financial crisis: Comparing the United Kingdom and Australia. The Australian Prime Minister has described the global financial crisis as the 'equivalent of a rolling national security crisis'. Our project, which examines the pressures upon political parties to adopt an adversarial approach to crises as an election approaches, benefits the nation by enhancing our understanding of how political systems cope with crisis. Should governing and oppositio ....Governing vs. opposition parties and the global financial crisis: Comparing the United Kingdom and Australia. The Australian Prime Minister has described the global financial crisis as the 'equivalent of a rolling national security crisis'. Our project, which examines the pressures upon political parties to adopt an adversarial approach to crises as an election approaches, benefits the nation by enhancing our understanding of how political systems cope with crisis. Should governing and opposition parties unite in order to tackle the national crisis and portray consensus to the outside world? Or should they continue to engage in routine adversary criticism, facilitating dialogue and providing a 'check' on a centralised response? Our research will help develop an understanding of Australia's capacity to respond to major economic threats.Read moreRead less