Australian political rhetoric: the role of public speech by elected representatives in contemporary Australian politics. What is the public benefit of the endless rituals of rhetorical claim and counter-claim performed by members of parliament? This project demonstrates that rhetoric is central to politics, through detailed case analysis of the performative side of Australian parliamentary politics. Good rhetoric, when we have it, makes for good politics.
Political normativity and the feasibility requirement. Commonsense says that claims about how social and political life ought to be arranged must not make infeasible demands. This project will investigate this piece of commonsense and explore its implications for a number of pressing issues, such as climate change, multiculturalism, political participation, inequality, historical justice, and the rules of war.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101358
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,105.00
Summary
Francesco Guicciardini as a Political Theorist. This project will examine the political writings of Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540), aiming to disseminate Guicciardini's political theory in the English-speaking world and establish his importance as one of the great thinkers of the European political tradition. Simultaneously, it will uncover and reassess a number of his highly original theoretical insights, many still relevant today (particularly for contemporary republicanism). Guicciardini' ....Francesco Guicciardini as a Political Theorist. This project will examine the political writings of Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540), aiming to disseminate Guicciardini's political theory in the English-speaking world and establish his importance as one of the great thinkers of the European political tradition. Simultaneously, it will uncover and reassess a number of his highly original theoretical insights, many still relevant today (particularly for contemporary republicanism). Guicciardini's political theory, in sharp contrast to that of his co-citizen and friend Machiavelli, received only limited attention, as his works were published only centuries after his death. This project will result in the first full-length monograph on the topic to appear in either English or Italian.Read moreRead less
Sparking a National Conversation. This project aims to understand why some promises of a ‘national conversation’ on a policy issue seem to be mere hyperbole, while others seem more authentic. Using an evaluative framework based on the latest democratic theory, and the aims and understandings of key actors in each case, the project plans to compare three cases that claimed to spark a national conversation: the Scottish National Conversation 2007–14; debates around the Affordable Care Act in the U ....Sparking a National Conversation. This project aims to understand why some promises of a ‘national conversation’ on a policy issue seem to be mere hyperbole, while others seem more authentic. Using an evaluative framework based on the latest democratic theory, and the aims and understandings of key actors in each case, the project plans to compare three cases that claimed to spark a national conversation: the Scottish National Conversation 2007–14; debates around the Affordable Care Act in the United States, 2009; and the ongoing issue of Indigenous constitutional recognition in Australia. The project aims to identify why some real-world efforts work better than others, and draw lessons for replicating best practice in Australia. Project outcomes may provide advice to policy-makers on how to engage citizens better in the major issues of the day.Read moreRead less
Realising Democracy Amid Communicative Plenty: A Deliberative Approach. The ever-increasing volume of political communication (especially online) challenges democracy and effective policy making. The aim of this project is to examine whether, how, why, and to what effect discourse flows within and between different sites in the new politics of communicative plenty. This research applies the idea of deliberative democracy, which puts meaningful communication between citizens and policy makers at ....Realising Democracy Amid Communicative Plenty: A Deliberative Approach. The ever-increasing volume of political communication (especially online) challenges democracy and effective policy making. The aim of this project is to examine whether, how, why, and to what effect discourse flows within and between different sites in the new politics of communicative plenty. This research applies the idea of deliberative democracy, which puts meaningful communication between citizens and policy makers at the heart of effective governance. It develops a deliberative analysis of controversy surrounding coal seam gas in Australia, using qualitative and 'big data' techniques to collect information. The knowledge generated is expected to inform efforts to put deliberative democracy into practice, as well as more effective environmental governance.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
The law of deliberative democracy: theory and reform. Deliberation is essential to the health of electoral and representative democracy. This project will evaluate and recommend the reform of the law underpinning democratic politics in Australia, to enhance its deliberative quality.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101265
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,009.00
Summary
Asian Australian political identities and participation across communities: comparisons with the United States. The number of Asian Australians as a percentage of the Australian population is steadily rising. This project will provide the first major comprehensive study of Asian Australian political behaviour.
Political participation and electoral representation among first and second generation migrants to Australia. How far migrants integrate politically is a concern for governments around the world. This project identifies the factors that affect the representation of migrants in Australian politics and their levels of political participation. The results will have major implications for the settlement policies that governments develop for new migrants.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101469
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,000.00
Summary
The Dilemma of Compliance: Political Parties and Post-election Disputes. This project plans to analyse post-election disputes in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia to determine why political parties refuse to comply with electoral outcomes and what determines the strategies they use to contest them. To date, scholars have primarily focused on why post-election protests succeed, paying scant attention to the reasons political parties decide to reject election results in the first place. This projec ....The Dilemma of Compliance: Political Parties and Post-election Disputes. This project plans to analyse post-election disputes in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia to determine why political parties refuse to comply with electoral outcomes and what determines the strategies they use to contest them. To date, scholars have primarily focused on why post-election protests succeed, paying scant attention to the reasons political parties decide to reject election results in the first place. This project also seeks to evaluate the impact that post-election disputes and their resolutions have on the future of political parties and democratic governance. The findings of the project may inform and improve donor and civil society efforts to strengthen electoral management and the quality of democracy.Read moreRead less