Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust: Constitutional Values Survey 2023-27. Declining public trust is well recognised as a problem of democratic government, including in Australia. However solutions are more elusive, confounded by the reality that mistrust and distrust play not just negative, but positive roles in our existing political and constitutional traditions. This project aims to be the first to comprehensively map the positive values of mistrust in citizen political attitudes and experi ....Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust: Constitutional Values Survey 2023-27. Declining public trust is well recognised as a problem of democratic government, including in Australia. However solutions are more elusive, confounded by the reality that mistrust and distrust play not just negative, but positive roles in our existing political and constitutional traditions. This project aims to be the first to comprehensively map the positive values of mistrust in citizen political attitudes and experience, building on previous Constitutional Values Surveys (2008-21) to test new measures of the content of trust including a first-ever longitudinal study of changing trust over time. The results will inform concrete solutions to three key policy reform dilemmas, providing better answers for sustaining public trust overall.
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Promissory Democratic Representation: Campaign Promises in Australia. This project aims to investigate the extent to which campaign promises made by politicians are kept or broken. It intends to conduct new research on Australian politics while advancing an established international research program. This project expects to generate and disseminate new knowledge that is urgently needed due to declining levels of trust among citizens in politicians. The expected outcomes include new theory and in ....Promissory Democratic Representation: Campaign Promises in Australia. This project aims to investigate the extent to which campaign promises made by politicians are kept or broken. It intends to conduct new research on Australian politics while advancing an established international research program. This project expects to generate and disseminate new knowledge that is urgently needed due to declining levels of trust among citizens in politicians. The expected outcomes include new theory and internationally comparative evidence on which campaign promises are kept and broken. This should provide significant benefits, such as greater public awareness of actual levels of promise keeping. It should also benefit policymakers who use campaign promises to anticipate and prepare government policies.Read moreRead less
Reaping the patriotic whirlwind: managed nationalism and the rise of militant xenophobia in Russia. This project examines the relationship between 'managed nationalism' and upsurges of ultranationalist activism and racially-motivated violence. This research will enhance our understanding of politics, diplomacy, and alternative governance.
What determines the political consequences of financial crises? Ideas, institutions, and society over the long run. Recent financial crises have often had powerful political consequences, including political turnover, rising polarisation and social unrest; but these consequences also vary greatly across countries and over time. In a novel investigation of the political aftermaths of financial crises over two centuries, this project will develop a comprehensive understanding of the causes of this ....What determines the political consequences of financial crises? Ideas, institutions, and society over the long run. Recent financial crises have often had powerful political consequences, including political turnover, rising polarisation and social unrest; but these consequences also vary greatly across countries and over time. In a novel investigation of the political aftermaths of financial crises over two centuries, this project will develop a comprehensive understanding of the causes of this variation. Its theoretical significance lies in its investigation of time-dependent processes that have been largely ignored by existing literature: what shapes the duration of political effects, how are societal expectations about government policy responsibilities (re)shaped by financial crises, and how do such expectations affect political and policy outcomes?Read moreRead less
Urbanising Western China: Nation-building on the Sino-Tibetan frontier. This project aims to explore urbanisation as a key part of the Chinese Communist Party's policies in Tibet and the novel opportunities it affords for Tibetan identity, language, and culture. An international, multidisciplinary team will combine analysis of key government texts, interviews with government officials and ethnic minority elites, as well as observations of daily life amongst urban Tibetans. The project will produ ....Urbanising Western China: Nation-building on the Sino-Tibetan frontier. This project aims to explore urbanisation as a key part of the Chinese Communist Party's policies in Tibet and the novel opportunities it affords for Tibetan identity, language, and culture. An international, multidisciplinary team will combine analysis of key government texts, interviews with government officials and ethnic minority elites, as well as observations of daily life amongst urban Tibetans. The project will produce new understandings of the challenges of governing diversity in China, and will benefit Australia by exploring a fundamental aspect of the changing social fabric of our region’s dominant power.Read moreRead less
Understanding and Combatting 'Dark Political Communication'. This project examines an emergent series of tactics used by political actors (i.e. politicians, lobbyists, political groups, etc.) that we are calling 'Dark Political Communication' (DPC). DPC differs markedly from existing, well-established modes of political communication, as it often involves the deliberate spread of disinformation, use of highly inflammatory language, antagonism towards the press and democratic institutions, as wel ....Understanding and Combatting 'Dark Political Communication'. This project examines an emergent series of tactics used by political actors (i.e. politicians, lobbyists, political groups, etc.) that we are calling 'Dark Political Communication' (DPC). DPC differs markedly from existing, well-established modes of political communication, as it often involves the deliberate spread of disinformation, use of highly inflammatory language, antagonism towards the press and democratic institutions, as well as actions that seek to exacerbate social discord. In this project, we will provide the first-ever complete account of DPC tactics, and provide a series of recommendations to journalists about how their practice can best evolve to address this novel communication paradigm. 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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100559
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,109.00
Summary
People smuggling in Indonesia: causes, pathways and responses . This project investigates political, economic and legal aspects of people smuggling from Indonesia to Australia. Over the last decade, people smuggling networks have grown substantially due to rising demand among asylum seekers and other migrants. Despite prevention campaigns and the criminalisation of people smuggling in Indonesia in 2011, people smuggling networks remain resilient and resistant to anti-people smuggling law enforce ....People smuggling in Indonesia: causes, pathways and responses . This project investigates political, economic and legal aspects of people smuggling from Indonesia to Australia. Over the last decade, people smuggling networks have grown substantially due to rising demand among asylum seekers and other migrants. Despite prevention campaigns and the criminalisation of people smuggling in Indonesia in 2011, people smuggling networks remain resilient and resistant to anti-people smuggling law enforcement. The project produces insights into the embeddedness of people smuggling in illicit local, regional and transnational economies and will develop alternative solutions to curb people smuggling from Indonesia, solutions that are consistent with Australia's obligations in refugee protection under international law.Read moreRead less
The global opponents of universal human rights, 1946-2006. This project will identify and analyse the historical patterns of opposition to universal human rights that have emerged since the birth of the United Nations in 1945. In doing so, it seeks to enable the more effective pursuit of a major Australian foreign policy objective, the global promotion of human rights.
Hiding in Plain Sight: 'Associated Entities' and Australian Democracy. Associated Entities (AEs) are organisations that are formally linked to political parties. This project aims to examine how AEs interact with Australian democracy by investigating their impact on elections, the law, and party system dynamics. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the impact of these nearly 200 key political actors, with a particular focus on how they are able to elude significant scrutiny of th ....Hiding in Plain Sight: 'Associated Entities' and Australian Democracy. Associated Entities (AEs) are organisations that are formally linked to political parties. This project aims to examine how AEs interact with Australian democracy by investigating their impact on elections, the law, and party system dynamics. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the impact of these nearly 200 key political actors, with a particular focus on how they are able to elude significant scrutiny of their activities. Expected outcomes include a new typology of AEs, a new financial index to measure their impact, and proposals to improve their regulation. The key benefits generated include: a strengthened campaign finance regime, and enhanced transparency and integrity to Australia's democracy.Read moreRead less