International Civil Servants and the World Bank: their Role and Impact. The World Bank is the principal international organisation responsible for alleviating poverty and advocating good governance.Understanding the World Bank and its impact in the South Asian and East Asia regions should enable an improved capability for Australia to appreciate the attempts to alleviate the poverty in the region that is so much a source of instability there. We further need to understand the potential of int ....International Civil Servants and the World Bank: their Role and Impact. The World Bank is the principal international organisation responsible for alleviating poverty and advocating good governance.Understanding the World Bank and its impact in the South Asian and East Asia regions should enable an improved capability for Australia to appreciate the attempts to alleviate the poverty in the region that is so much a source of instability there. We further need to understand the potential of internatonal civil servants to contribute to international cooperation and the process of globalization. Read moreRead less
Mapping the policy advisory capacity of the Australian federal government: assessing transformations in the policy advising role of the Australian Public Service. Governmental effectiveness depends to a significant extent on the availability of high quality information, analysis and advice. This project therefore addresses a matter of crucial national importance, namely the ability of the Australian Public Service to support decision-making through its policy advising functions. The project is s ....Mapping the policy advisory capacity of the Australian federal government: assessing transformations in the policy advising role of the Australian Public Service. Governmental effectiveness depends to a significant extent on the availability of high quality information, analysis and advice. This project therefore addresses a matter of crucial national importance, namely the ability of the Australian Public Service to support decision-making through its policy advising functions. The project is significant for both its theoretical and practical contributions. Its findings will inform better understandings of the policy advising role of the public service and its relationship to decision-makers in an increasingly pluralised governance context. The project will be the Australian contribution to a larger comparative project examining policy advisory capacities in four Westminster-style governments.Read moreRead less
Is Australian agricultural policy making still 'exceptional'? Investigating the population of issue niches in the Australian agricultural policy domain. Agriculture is an important part of Australian economic, social and cultural life. So too is the notion that public policy in all areas, agriculture included, should be formulated on the basis of consultation and input from the fullest possible range of interests and groups. This research will reveal the degree of competition and cooperation bet ....Is Australian agricultural policy making still 'exceptional'? Investigating the population of issue niches in the Australian agricultural policy domain. Agriculture is an important part of Australian economic, social and cultural life. So too is the notion that public policy in all areas, agriculture included, should be formulated on the basis of consultation and input from the fullest possible range of interests and groups. This research will reveal the degree of competition and cooperation between interests over agricultural policy issues in Australia. In so doing, it provides an important window on the public policy process which in turn should simulate public debate about agricultural policy making specifically and Australian political processes generally.Read moreRead less
The Gender Politics of Global Economic Competitiveness in Southeast Asia. States such as Malaysia face similar economic challenges to Australia - for example maintaining economic competitiveness in the face of rising competition from low(er) wage labour countries (especially China), maintaining and enhancing a competitive ICT infrastructure and building successful and sustainable technology policies. Critically assessing the role that women and the family can play in Malaysia's attempts to trans ....The Gender Politics of Global Economic Competitiveness in Southeast Asia. States such as Malaysia face similar economic challenges to Australia - for example maintaining economic competitiveness in the face of rising competition from low(er) wage labour countries (especially China), maintaining and enhancing a competitive ICT infrastructure and building successful and sustainable technology policies. Critically assessing the role that women and the family can play in Malaysia's attempts to transition to a more knowledge intensive economy will invariably open up policy lessons for Australia.Read moreRead less
From Periphery to Central: the Politics of China's Central Banking Reform and the Building of a Financial Infrastructure in an Age of Transition. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability. By explaining the dynamics of China's central banking reform, monetary policy and banking reform since 197 ....From Periphery to Central: the Politics of China's Central Banking Reform and the Building of a Financial Infrastructure in an Age of Transition. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability. By explaining the dynamics of China's central banking reform, monetary policy and banking reform since 1979, this project will significantly enhance our capacity to interpret monetary policy management and financial development in China, to support our commitment to states in the Asia Pacific region that are dealing with economic reforms and transition, and more importantly, to exert influence on the desired direction of change in China through engagement with the Chinese monetary authority.Read moreRead less
Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the ch ....Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the challenges will have security implications in the region. Understanding the nuclear politics in these two countries is a necessary requirement for Australia.Read moreRead less
Democratic Leadership: How democracy shapes, constrains and empowers its leaders. A more profound understanding of the authority conferred, and limits imposed, by democracies on their leaders allows us to recognize what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics. It encourages a more subtle appreciation of the onerous demands of leadership, negotiating the extremes of idealism and cynical pragmatism that so often undermine confidence in politics and politicians. It gives greater insight int ....Democratic Leadership: How democracy shapes, constrains and empowers its leaders. A more profound understanding of the authority conferred, and limits imposed, by democracies on their leaders allows us to recognize what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics. It encourages a more subtle appreciation of the onerous demands of leadership, negotiating the extremes of idealism and cynical pragmatism that so often undermine confidence in politics and politicians. It gives greater insight into how democratic institutions and practices can be sustained and improved upon, both domestically, and internationally. Australia's commitment to democratisation in the region makes even more pressing the question of the type of leadership necessary in transitional states.Read moreRead less
Democrats at War: Democratic Leadership in an International Context. A more profound appreciation of what democracies can reasonably expect from their leaders in times of conflict will have significant benefits in both domestic and international arenas. In giving us greater clarity regarding what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics, especially in times of international instability, the study will provide insight into how democratic institutions and practices can be sustained and enha ....Democrats at War: Democratic Leadership in an International Context. A more profound appreciation of what democracies can reasonably expect from their leaders in times of conflict will have significant benefits in both domestic and international arenas. In giving us greater clarity regarding what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics, especially in times of international instability, the study will provide insight into how democratic institutions and practices can be sustained and enhanced. Australia's interest in regional stability, and its consequent encouragement of greater democratisation in the Pacific area, will find support in research that helps leaders in transitional states better understand and adapt to their vital role.Read moreRead less
E-Democracy in Theory and Practice. Democratic experiments using the internet are increasingly prevalent in Australia and internationally, promising to make far-reaching changes to the way we understand and implement democracy. It is important that such experiments be undertaken with full appreciation of the nature of the transformations they seek to effect in our democratic institutions and practices. The twofold nature of this project, combining the theoretical and the practical, allow a more ....E-Democracy in Theory and Practice. Democratic experiments using the internet are increasingly prevalent in Australia and internationally, promising to make far-reaching changes to the way we understand and implement democracy. It is important that such experiments be undertaken with full appreciation of the nature of the transformations they seek to effect in our democratic institutions and practices. The twofold nature of this project, combining the theoretical and the practical, allow a more thoughtful and comparative assessment of the nature of e-democracy, and will provide practical guidance regarding the efficacy of its various applications.Read moreRead less
Engaged Government: A study of government-community engagement for regional outcomes. The devolution of government business to regional government/community partnerships, coupled with the call for greater policy coherence, is challenging all levels of government and communities to collaborate in new ways to deliver regional outcomes. There is little empirical research to guide public managers in determining best value arrangements and strategic investments for building a region's 'collaborative ....Engaged Government: A study of government-community engagement for regional outcomes. The devolution of government business to regional government/community partnerships, coupled with the call for greater policy coherence, is challenging all levels of government and communities to collaborate in new ways to deliver regional outcomes. There is little empirical research to guide public managers in determining best value arrangements and strategic investments for building a region's 'collaborative advantage'. This project will examine the conditions (strategic, structural and procedural) under which multi-sectoral collaboration can deliver policy coherence and positive regional outcomes and identify the costs, benefits, trade-offs and capacities associated with effective multi-sectoral collaboration.
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