Public Finance and Cryptocurrencies. This project aims to analyse the impact of cryptocurrency technology on taxation and the provision of public goods in Australia. The project will identify the historical relationship between money technologies and public finance, examine the impact of cryptocurrencies in relation to the modern state, and investigate the potential of utilising cryptocurrencies in the provision of public goods. The outcomes of the research will expand theoretical and practical ....Public Finance and Cryptocurrencies. This project aims to analyse the impact of cryptocurrency technology on taxation and the provision of public goods in Australia. The project will identify the historical relationship between money technologies and public finance, examine the impact of cryptocurrencies in relation to the modern state, and investigate the potential of utilising cryptocurrencies in the provision of public goods. The outcomes of the research will expand theoretical and practical understanding of public finance in a world of cryptocurrencies. The project findings will provide guidance to Australian and international policymakers to prepare for potential disruptions to taxation and public goods provision. Read moreRead less
Policy-Related Lessons from the Econometric Analysis of Life Satisfaction Data in Australia. Our analyses will provide important information to policy-makers aiming to design policies that improve Australia's economic and social fabric. In particular, we will inform on the response of Australians to major life-events such as unemployment, ill-health or marital dissolution, but also exogenous shocks including drought and terrorism. Major focus will be on differentiating the determinants of life s ....Policy-Related Lessons from the Econometric Analysis of Life Satisfaction Data in Australia. Our analyses will provide important information to policy-makers aiming to design policies that improve Australia's economic and social fabric. In particular, we will inform on the response of Australians to major life-events such as unemployment, ill-health or marital dissolution, but also exogenous shocks including drought and terrorism. Major focus will be on differentiating the determinants of life satisfaction between rural and urban communities in Australia, and investigating the response of these communities to drought conditions. Moreover, we believe that a detailed international comparison using German and UK data will provide unique evidence on the relative quality of life in Australia and the role of culture and institutions. Read moreRead less
Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifyi ....Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifying directions for reform that can raise living standards and achieve a more egalitarian society. The project will also identify reforms required to avert an ageing crisis, and those that inhibit GDP growth due to their negative effects on female employment, household saving and fertility. Read moreRead less
Why poorer students are less likely to go to university: Theoretical and empirical evidence for Australia with implications for policy. This project will improve our understanding of the factors that lead to the under-representation of low income students in universities in Australia and other countries. The focus of the analysis will be the impact of a student's family and household environment and innate ability on their school performance, an essential pre-requisite for university admission, ....Why poorer students are less likely to go to university: Theoretical and empirical evidence for Australia with implications for policy. This project will improve our understanding of the factors that lead to the under-representation of low income students in universities in Australia and other countries. The focus of the analysis will be the impact of a student's family and household environment and innate ability on their school performance, an essential pre-requisite for university admission, together with the costs of university education. Identifying the relative importance of these factors in determining educational success will enable families, schools, universities and educational policy-makers to improve opportunities for high ability students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This will in turn enhance economic growth and productivity, benefiting all Australians.Read moreRead less
A Lifecycle Approach to Labour Supply, Human Capital Accumulation and Public Policy. According to available time use data Australia has a relatively low labour supply, when compared with other major OECD countries, due primarily to low female working hours. This project will investigate the lifecycle dynamics of family labour supply decisions and human capital accumulation, to provide a more informed basis for policy debates. We therefore see the major national and community benefit as that of p ....A Lifecycle Approach to Labour Supply, Human Capital Accumulation and Public Policy. According to available time use data Australia has a relatively low labour supply, when compared with other major OECD countries, due primarily to low female working hours. This project will investigate the lifecycle dynamics of family labour supply decisions and human capital accumulation, to provide a more informed basis for policy debates. We therefore see the major national and community benefit as that of promoting Australia's rate of economic growth and ability to sustain funding for education, health and welfare, in an ageing population.Read moreRead less
Retirement asset decumulation: Adequacy, institutions and products. This proposal seeks to evaluate the present and future adequacy of retirement provision, and offers alternative, practical solutions to the problem of how to maximise the value of a retiree's accumulated assets and facilitate a financially secure retirement. First, a re-evaluation of the replacement rate as a measure of retirement provision adequacy will be undertaken. Second, the efficacy of new financial products and instituti ....Retirement asset decumulation: Adequacy, institutions and products. This proposal seeks to evaluate the present and future adequacy of retirement provision, and offers alternative, practical solutions to the problem of how to maximise the value of a retiree's accumulated assets and facilitate a financially secure retirement. First, a re-evaluation of the replacement rate as a measure of retirement provision adequacy will be undertaken. Second, the efficacy of new financial products and institutions designed to enhance the value of a retirement accumulation for retirement consumption will be analysed. Global trends towards population aging and increasing reliance on self-provision for retirement lends both urgency and significance to the proposed research.Read moreRead less
Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rathe ....Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rather than in isolation from each other. The work will therefore directly assist policy makers in this area. Since it will be at the leading edge of current research, it will also benefit Australia's standing in the international research community.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt in ....Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt influences children's outcomes. Identification of these transmission mechanisms is a necessary first step in formulating policies targeted towards breaking any cycle of welfare dependence. This project is innovative in its use of survey data merged to unique administrative data that link the income-support records of some 53,000 young Australians and their parents.
Read moreRead less
Improving productivity: theory and application to Australian hospitals. This project aims to improve existing methods for analysing productivity and efficiency of organisations. The new methods will be applied to Australian hospitals, to analyse their productivity and efficiency, identify the best-practices and their determinants and recommend improvements and necessary reforms. The high level of healthcare costs in Australia, about 5 percent of gross domestic product, as well as their rapid and ....Improving productivity: theory and application to Australian hospitals. This project aims to improve existing methods for analysing productivity and efficiency of organisations. The new methods will be applied to Australian hospitals, to analyse their productivity and efficiency, identify the best-practices and their determinants and recommend improvements and necessary reforms. The high level of healthcare costs in Australia, about 5 percent of gross domestic product, as well as their rapid and accelerating growth, imply that application of methods developed through this project may save billions of dollars and, more importantly, thousands of lives. An expected outcome of this project will be superior theoretical and practical methods for analysing productivity and efficiency of economic systems, to enhance understanding of the potential for improvements and of the necessary reforms.Read moreRead less
Physician Preferences for Medical Innovation. This project aims to identify the causes and consequences of medical practice variations by providing new evidence on the process through which physicians adopt and use new medical technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how physicians' human and social capital determine their preferences for taking up new medical technology and the economic consequences of such decisions. Expected outcomes of this project include a greater unde ....Physician Preferences for Medical Innovation. This project aims to identify the causes and consequences of medical practice variations by providing new evidence on the process through which physicians adopt and use new medical technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how physicians' human and social capital determine their preferences for taking up new medical technology and the economic consequences of such decisions. Expected outcomes of this project include a greater understanding of the sources for and costs of inappropriate use of healthcare, such as low-value care. This should provide significant benefits, such as contributing to the construction of effective policies for improving efficiency and equity of the healthcare system.Read moreRead less