Publications
Our publications are the most important means of contact between the Centre's ideas and its general readership. Since 1976, The Centre for Independent Studies has produced some of the most authoritative publications in Australasian academia. From the influential Lands of Shame to the authoritative Will China Fail? CIS has published hundreds of publications covering topics from the social policy to legal affairs to religion and education.
In addition to books, the CIS publishes a range of shorter publications: Issue Analyses deal with controversial and current issues and Policy Mongraphs investigate and offer policy solutions. Since 1984, Policy magazine has published feature articles and reviews authored by some of the foremost national and international thinkers on public policy and ideas. The quality of writing and the diversity of topics in Policy ensure its status as a 'must read' by leading politicans, businesspeople and academics.
Hard copies of our publications are available for purchase through the bookstore. Many of the smaller publications are also available for download.
CONTRIBUTIONS
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All Government and Politics Publications
TARGET30: Reducing the burden for future generations
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government and cutting government spending to less than 30% of GDP in the next 10...
A Fair Go: Fact or Fiction?
The Australian ideal of a fair go is fact rather than fiction. By offering all individuals the opportunity to capitalise...
TARGET30: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions...
TARGET30 SNAPSHOT: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
TARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions...
Australia and the Asian Ascendancy: Why Upskilling is Not Necessary to Reap the Rewards
Government programs to upskill the Australian workforce for the Asian Century are a solution to a non-problem. With more...
Future Submarine Project Should Raise Periscope for Another Look
Australia should not spend $40 billion to repeat the mistakes of the Collins Class submarine. Nuclear submarines, such as...
After the Riot: the Meaning for Multicultural Australia
The riot on 15 September in the Sydney CBD by Muslim protestors has raised questions about the health of Australian multiculturalism....
Faraway, So Close: How the Euro Crisis Affects Australia
Europe’s economic crisis has been shaking financial markets for the past three years. Countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal,...
Flight of the Kiwi: Addressing the Brain Drain
Why are so many New Zealanders flocking to Australian shores, and what can be done to stop the so-called Kiwi ‘brain drain’? In...
Trans-Atlantic Fiscal Follies: The Sequel
What started as the US subprime crisis became the global financial crisis and has now developed into the Trans-Atlantic sovereign...
Submission to the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government
Should local government be recognised in the Constitution? And would such recognition make a practical difference? International...
Working Towards Self-Reliance: Three Lessons for Disability Pension Reform
To successful reduce the number of pensioners on disability support, policymakers must apply the lessons of other welfare...
The Kingdom of God is Forcefully Advancing and Forceful Men Lay Hold of It
In the CIS’s annual Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom, Senator David Coltart discusses the application of biblical...
When Prophecy Fails
In their 2009 book, The Spirit Level, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett argued for the ‘benefits’ of income redistribution....
FEATURE: Beyond the Culture Wars - Arts Policy for a New Generation
Arts policy can learn from sport's bottom up approach.
INTERVIEW: The Dignity of the Bourgeoisie
Deidre McCloskey explains to Matthew Shaffer how, around 1700, a new way of thinking gave birth to the modern world.
BOOK REVIEW: How Australia Decides: Election Reporting and the Media
How Australia Decides: Election Reporting and the Media by Sally Young (Cambridge University Press, 2011.)
BOOK REVIEW: Robust Political Economy: Classical Liberalism and the Future of Public Policy
Robust Political Economy: Classical Liberalism and the Future of Public Policy by Mark Pennington (Edward Elgar Publishing,...
Australia’s Angry Mayors: How Population Growth Frustrates Local Councils
To understand the effects of a growing population on Australia’s councils, CIS surveyed local authorities from all over...
Democracy and Money: The Dangers of Campaign Finance Reform
Campaign finance reform is presented as improving Australian democracy and government by limiting ‘undue influence’....
Alcohol Policy and the Politics of Moral Panic
New Zealand’s proposed liquor legislation marks a return to old attitudes towards alcohol regulation that perversely believe,...
FEATURE: Growing Pains
The Australian government has limited control over population size. The policy challenge is dealing with a larger population,...
FEATURE: Dissecting the Platypus Model
Australia may have a ‘platypus model’ of relatively low taxes and inequality, but its government remains too big.
The Multi-layered Hayek
Friedrich August von Hayek was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century. His contributions ranged from economics...
Ludwig von Mises – A Primer
In Ludwig von Mises – A Primer, Eamonn Butler presents a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the outstanding achievements...
Constitutional Conservatism
In The Centre for Independent Studies’ annual Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom, Hoover Institution scholar Dr Peter...
Empires on the Edge of Chaos: The Nasty Fiscal Arithmetic of Imperial Decline
In the 26th John Bonython lecture, Niall Ferguson, one of the world’s leading geo-economic thinkers and best-selling author...
Populate and Perish? Modelling Australia's Demographic Future
Since the publication of the 2010 Intergenerational Report, Australia has been debating its demographic future and whether...
After the Wall – Reflections on the Legacy of 1989
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it marked the end of the Cold War and of Eastern European communism. Two decades on, The...
FEATURE: Creative Policy Destruction
Creative thinking can transform public policy.
FEATURE: Democratic Accountability and the Australian Federal System of Government
With better design, federalism can still bring government closer to voters.
BOOK REVIEW: Confusion: The Making of the Australia Two-Party System
Confusion by Paul Stranglo and Nick Dryrenfurth (eds) (Melbourne University Press, 2009.)
BOOK REVIEW: So Many Firsts: Liberal Women From Enid Lyons to the Turnbull Era
So Many Firsts: Liberal Women From Enid Lyons to the Turnbull Era by Margaret Fizherbert (The Federation Press, 2009.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Death of Conservatism
The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus (Random House, 2009.)
BOOK REVIEW: Prosecuting Heads of State
Prosecuting Heads of State by Ellen L. Lutz and Caitlin Reiger (Eds.) (Cambridge University Press, 2009.)
Behind the Moral Curtain: The Politics of a Charter of Rights
Elise Parham argues that a federal charter of rights would be used by special interest groups as a powerful political tool....
Invisible Hand versus Visible Fist: Securing the Future Wealth of Nations
In the 25th John Bonython Lecture, PJ O'Rourke presents his views of the economic and financial crisis that is shaking the...
On the Right Track: Why NSW Needs Business Class Rail
Rail connections between Sydney and neighbouring cities need to improve substantially and business class carriages would...
FEATURE: Is Government the Best Risk Manager?
Some risks are better managed by the private sector. Governments typically bear high costs in admitting failure, yet failures...
Diminishing Democracy: The Threat Posed by Political Expenditure Laws
Electoral law reforms nearing a Senate vote risk making political activists inadvertent lawbreakers, deterring financial...
Emissions Tax: The Least Worst Option
The New Zealand government’s emissions trading system, due to come into force in 2010 for energy and 2013 for agriculture,...
FEATURE: Understanding Australian Conservatism
Modern Australian conservatism reworks old conservative themes.
FEATURE: Fusion: The Party System We Had To Have?
A hundred years ago, the fusion of the Protectionist and Free Trade parties created the party system that still dominates...
BOOK REVIEW: Calculating Political Risk
Calculating Political Risk by Catherine Althaus (UNSW Press 2008).
Beyond Symbolism: Finding a Place for Local Government in Australia's Constitution
Local governments could provide better services, like schools and fast development approvals if they received a higher proportion...
A Streak of Hypocrisy: Reactions to the Global Financial Crisis and Generational Debt
Dr Jeremy Sammut says that ‘household savings have collapsed due to an unnecessary dependence on welfare handouts. A new...
BOOK REVIEW: A Military History of Australia, 3rd Ed
A Military History of Australia, 3rd ed. by Jeffrey Grey (Cambridge University Press, 2008).
BOOK REVIEW: Grand New Part: How Republicans Can Win The Working Class and Save the American Dream
Grand New Party: How the Republicans can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam...
REVIEW ESSAY: The Kevin 07 Story
The story of Rudd's rise is better told than the story of Howard's fall.
Where to for Australian Federalism?
Edited by Robert Carling with contributions from Cheryl Saunders, Jonathan Pincus, Wolfgang Kasper, Cliff Walsh and Ken Baxter. ...
BOOK REVIEW: Liberal Facism: The secret history of the American Left
Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left by Jonah Goldberg (Doubleday, 2007).
BOOK REVIEW: The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies
The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies by Bryan Caplan (Princeton University Press, 2007).
FEATURE: Policy on Trial
Randomised trials are the best tool we have for finding out if policies really work.
REVIEW ESSAY: Popper's Critique of 'Free-Market Ideology'
Popper's views on the role of government in a free society do not always fit easily within the classical liberal tradition.
The Role of Government in a Liberal Society
Modern government has grown out of all proportion, becoming a serious threat to life, liberty, property and the public...
FEATURE: One Good Big Idea For Water Reform
Third-party access to pipes would open the way to more innovation and competition in water supply and disposal.
OPINION: The OECD Cringe
Australian policy should be judged by our own priorities and circumstances, not the OECD average.
FEATURE: Fixing Australian Federalism
For federalism to work, the states need clear roles and their own revenue.
BOOK REVIEW: Confucian Political Ethics
Confucian Political Ethics edited by Daniel A. Bell (Princeton University Press, 2008).
BOOK REVIEW: Full Disclosure: The Promise and Perils of Transparency
Full Disclosure: The Promise and Perils of Transparency by Archon Fung, Mary Graham and David Weil (Cambridge University...
BOOK REVIEW: The Liberals: The NSW Division 1945-2000
The Liberals: The NSW Division 1945-2000 by Ian Hancock (Federation Press, 2007).
OPINION: The Chilling Effect of Political Expenditure Laws
New laws requiring disclosure of political expenditure discourage debate and political participation.
Fiscal Illusion: How Big Government Makes Tax Look Small
Sinclair Davidson in this paper canvasses an issue that cuts across all taxes and all levels of government: fiscal illusion...
FEATURE: How Do Australian Classical Liberals Vote?
Though rare, classical liberal voters can affect major party support.
REVIEW ESSAY: The Poverty of Nations
Lousy government is the root cause of the world's worst poverty.
BOOK REVIEW: John Winston Howard: The Biography
John Winston Howard: The Biography by Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen (Melbourne University Press, 2007).
BOOK REVIEW: Scorcher: The Dirty Politics of Climate Change
Scorcher: The Dirty Politics of Climate Change by Clive Hamilton (Black Inc Agenda, 2007).
COMMENT: Anti-Competitive Politics
In the Autumn issue of Policy, John Humphreys wrote about the Liberal Democratic Party, Australia's only classical liberal...
FEATURE: The Service Economy- Success in a Market Democracy
Many of the service economy's problems come from the government.
BOOK REVIEW: Silencing Dissent: How the Australian Government is Controlling Public Opinion and Stifling Debate
Silencing Dissent: How the Australian Government is controlling public opinion and stifling debate by Clive Hamilton and...
History as the Story of Liberty: A Globalised Western Civilisation
In this lecture, Dr Herman explores how a prosperous and culturally diverse world depends on the human freedoms embedded...
FEATURE: Does Kevin Rudd Need to Save Families From Capitalism?
The Labor leader is relying on an old and discredited view of communal life in a market society.
BOOK REVIEW: Voting for Jesus: Christianity and Politics in Australia
Voting for Jesus: Christiantiy and Politics in Australia by Amanda Lohrey (Quaterly Essay 22, Black Inc, 2006).
FEATURE: Sinking The Boat To Save It
The Charter of Rights is a threat to Victoria's political and legal culture.
FEATURE: The Rise of Big Government Conservatism
The centre-right's policy agenda killed hopes of smaller government.
FEATURE: The Spontaneous Order of Science
Leave research priority setting to the scientists.
Indigenous Governance At the Crossroads: The Way Forward
Under the current local government framework, there are too many layers of government in remote Indigenous communities, resulting...
FEATURE: When Will Leviathan Fade Away?
The federal government has failed to curb discretionary spending.
BOOK REVIEW: An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government and Other Goliaths
An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government and Other Goliaths...
BOOK REVIEW: The Australian Electoral System: Origins, Variations and Consequences
The Australian Electoral System: Origins, Variations and Consequences by David M Farrell and Ian McAllister (University of...
FEATURE: The Rise of the Opinionators
Labor's strongest support is no longer in the working class, but among education, arts and social professionals.
REVIEW ESSAY: A Second Draft of History
The Howard Factor: A Decade That Changed The Nation edited by Nick Cater (Melbourne University Press, 2006).
Farewell to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity: Is the Left still on the Left?
In this Occasional Paper translated by Wolfgang Kasper, two German analysts, Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersch argue that...
BOOK REVIEW: The March of Unreason: Science, Democracy and the New Fundamentalism
The March of Unreason: Science, Democracy and the New Fundamentalism by Dick Taverne (Oxford University Press, 2005).
BOOK REVIEW: Selling the Australian Government: Politics and Propaganda from Whitlam to Howard
Selling the Australian Government: Politics and Propaganda from Whitlam to Howard by Greg Barns (UNSW Press, 2005.)
BOOK REVIEW: Losing It: The Inside Story of the Labor Party in Opposition
Losing It: The Inside Story of the Labor Party in Opposition by Annabel Crabb (Picador, 2005.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Latham Diaries
The Latham Diaries by Mark Latham (Melbourne University Press, 2005.)
FEATURE: It's An Evil Thing to Oblige People to Vote
Voluntary voting would not have changed recent election results.
The Economics of Indigenous Deprivation and Proposals for Reform
For remote Indigenous communities to have productive employment opportunities with mainstream earnings, decent health outcomes,...
The Free Market Case Against Voluntary Student Unionism (But for Voluntary Student Representation)
The federal government plans to introduce ‘voluntary student unionism’ (VSU) into Australia’s universities by banning...
Papua New Guinea’s Choice: A Tale of Two Nations
The recent withdrawal of the Australian police is disastrous for the people of Papua New Guinea. The police deployed under...
Universities in a State: The Federal Case Against Commonwealth Control of Universities
The Commonwealth Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, has suggested that the federal government assume full legal responsibility...
BOOK REVIEW: The Case for an Australian Bill of Rights: Freedom in the War on Terror
The Case For an Australian Bill of Rights: Freedom in the War on Terror by George Williams (UNSW Press, 2004).
BOOK REVIEW: The Persuaders: Inside the Hidden Machine of Political Advertising
The Persuaders: Inside the Hidden Machine of Political Advertising by Sally Young (Pluto Press, 2004).
BOOK REVIEW: Australian Citizenship
Australian Citizenship by Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts (Melbourne University Press, 2004).
BOOK REVIEW: Rebels with a Cause: Independents in Australian Politics
Rebels with a Cause: Independents in Australian Politics by Brian Costar and Jennifer Curtin (UNSW Press, 2004).
BOOK REVIEW: The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in the Age of Terrorism
The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in the Age of Terrorism by Michael Ignatieff (Princeton University Press, 2004).
The Pacific is Viable!
Whilst all is relatively quiet in the Pacific, there is still no growth. With aid runing at more than $1.5 billion a year...
FEATURE: Can Votes Be Bought?
More government spending hasn't paid electoral dividends.
BOOK REVIEW: The Power of Speech: Australian Prime Ministers Defining The National Image
The Power of Speech: Australian Prime Ministers Defining the National Image by James Curran (Melbourne University Press,...
From Riches to Rags What Are Nauru’s Options and How Can Australia Help?
Thirty years after enjoying the world’s second highest per capita GDP after Saudi Arabia, Nauru is on the verge of insolvency,...
Will You Still Vote for Me in the Morning? Why Politicians Aren’t Rushing to Increase Taxes
Norton’s review of the evidence does not indicate the existence of a population keen to pay more tax. The politicians know...
Can Papua New Guinea Come Back From the Brink?
After seven months of wrangling, arrangements to deploy more than 260 Australian police and other officials to Papua New...
BOOK REVIEW: The Howard Years
The Howard Years edited by Robert Manne (Black Inc. Agenda, 2004.)
BOOK REVIEW: Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice
Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice by Stanley Bach (Department of the Senate, 2003.)
BOOK REVIEW: Motivation, Agency and Public Policy: Of Knights and Knaves, Pawns and Queens
Motivation, Agency and Public Policy: Of Knights and Knaves, Pawns and Queens by Julian Le Grand (Oxford University Press,...
COMMENT: A Broad But Not Infinite Church
The meanings of liberalism.
COMMENT: The Policy Shift the Media Missed
Australia's emerging national security strategy.
Sweet and Sour Pork Barrelling: The Case of Queensland Sugar
For nearly 100 years, pork barrelling has propped up a recalcitrant sugar industry that has refused to reform despite evidence...
BOOK REVIEW: What's Wrong With the Liberal Party?
What's Wrong With The Liberal Party? by Greg Barns (Melbourne University Press, 2003).
The Open Front Door Tourism, Border Control and National Security
Terrorists could easily exploit a serious weakness in Australia’s border protection regime, warns immigration expert Professor...
Poor Laws (3) How to Reform the Award System and Create More Jobs
Despite the hype about enterprise bargaining and the individualisation of employment arrangements since the early 1990s,...
COMMENT: The Equality Project
A steadfast commitment to equality of outcomes is one of the Left's defining characteristics. But it is politically unrealistic,...
Whose Progress? A Response to the ABS Report Measuring Australia’s Progress
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ recent report, Measuring Australia’s Progress, threatens to compromise the political...
Ten Advantages of a Federal Constitution: And How to Make the Most of Them
Australia’s federal system is being attacked and undermined with debate focussing solely on its disadvantages. Ten Advantages...
COMMENT: Ten Advantages of a Federal Constitution
The contitutional debate in Australia tends to concentrate on and exaggerate the minor inconveniences of federalism, making...
CRITICAL REVIEW: A Crisis of Democracy- Again
Disaffected Democracies: What's Troubling the Trilateral Countries? Edited by Susan Pharr and Robert Putnam (Princeton University...
BOOK REVIEW: The Politics of Australian Society
The Politics of Australian Society: Political Issues for the New Century edited by Paul Boreham, Geoffrey Stokes and Richard...
BOOK REVIEW: Guilt, Blame and Politics
Guilt, Blame and Politics by Allan Levite (Sanyan Press, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Australian Century: Political Struggle in the Building of a Nation
The Australian Century: Political Struggle in the Building of a Nation Edited and Introduced by Robert Manne (Text Publishing...
The End of Chaos: Global Markets and the Information Era
Governments have long pursued policies that determined the degree to which markets have been permitted to operate. But in...
BOOK REVIEW: Open Australia
Open Australia by Lindsay Tanner (Pluto Press, 1999.)
COMMENT:Il Ridistributore: Machiavelli for Parliamentarians in Welfare Democracies
Gerard Radnitzky suggests that the welfare state destroys freedom and the democratic order in countries such as Australia,...
FEATURE: The Internet: Towards a Global Political System
International cooperation and cyber-market regulation.
Reconnecting Compassion and Charity
Supporters of big government and the welfare state regularly accuse their opponents of lacking ‘compassion’. But how...
BOOK NOTES: War on the Wharves: A Cartoon History
War on the Wharves: A Cartoon History edited by Christopher Sgeil (Pluto Press, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: Two Nations
Two Nations by Robert Manne and others (Bookman Perss, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. Scott (Yale University Press,...
REVIEW: Learning From The Communist Experience?
The Reds: The Communist Party of Australia from Origins to Illegality by Stuart Macintyre (Allen & Unwin, 1998.)
COMMENT: World Competitiveness- Are We On Track?
An update on Australia's world competitiveness ranking.
FEATURE: The New Politics- An Australian Story
How to address the malaise in Australian democracy.
FEATURE: Liberalism in Economics and Politics
An interview with Antonio Martino, Professor of Economics and Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the Free...
FEATURE: The 'Unrepresentative Swill' 'Feel Their Oats'
The Rise of Senate Activism in Australia.
The Road Not Taken- Hayek’s Slippery Slope to Serfdom
In 1944 Friedrich Hayek published The Road to Serfdom, a warning against the totalitarian dangers involved in central economic...
Rear Vision on Trade Policy: Wrong Way, Go Forward
Policies affecting trade flows do not begin or end in the international arena: Decisions about reducing protection must be...
The Last Refuge: Hard and Soft Hansonism in Contemporary Australian Politics
Hard Hansonism includes a number of characteristic policies – on aboriginal affairs, protectionism, privatisation, competition...
BOOK REVIEW: On Voting: A Public Choice Approach
On Voting: A Public Choice Approach by Gordon Tullock (Edward Elgar for the John Locke Institute, Cheltenham, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Packaging of Australia: Politics and Culture Wars
The Packaging of Australia: Politics and Culture Wars by Gregory Melleuish (University of New South Wales Press, 1998.)
REVIEW ARTICLE: Australia at a Crossroads?
Australia at the Crossroads by Fred Argy (Allen & Unwin, 1998.)
COMMENT: Cacophony and Chaos
Internet Censorship and Content Regulation.
COMMENT: The Hazardous Era of 'Common Sense'
The Dangers of Anti-Intellectualism in Australian Politics.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Civilising Global Capital: New Thinking for Australian Labor
Civilising Global Capital: New Thinking for Australian Labor by Mark Latham (Allen & Unwin, 1998.)
BOOK REVIEW: Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader
Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza (The Free Press, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: Rooting Democracy
Rooting Democracy: Growing the Society We Want by Moira Rayner (Allen & Unwin, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: Turning Point: The State of Australia and New Zealand
Turning Point: The State of Australia and New Zealand edited by Christopher Sheil (The Evatt Foundation and Allen & Unwin,...
BOOK REVIEW: How to Win the Constitutional War and Give Both Sides What They Want
How to Win the Constitutional War and Give Both Sides What They Want by Tony Abbott (Australians for Constitutional Monarchy...
FEATURE: Global Warming
The Mother of all environmental scares.
REVIEW: Community Rules
The New Golden Rule: Community and Morality in a Democratic Society by Amitai Etzioni (Basic Books, 1996.)
COMMENT: The Perils of Republics
In practice unanimity of will in the political sphere does not occur, making the reach of authority problematic.
BOOK REVIEW: Keeping the Bastards Honest: The Australian Democrats' First Twenty Years
Keeping the Bastards Honest: The Australian Democrats' First Twenty Years edited by John Warhurst (Allen & Unwin, 1997.)
REVIEW ARTICLE: The Victory- Two Views
The Victory by Pamela Williams (Allen & Unwin, 1997.)
FEATURE: The New Populism in Australia
Since the 1970s, Australians have been living through an age of uncertainty or, perhaps more positively, an age of redefinition.
Nationality
Is the nation state the best form of political organisation? Should a country’s borders be based on racial or linguistic...
The Morality of Capitalism
Capitalism is winning the economic battle all over the world. The collapse of socialism has left it without serious challenge...
FEATURE: The Moral Habit
An interview with James Q. Wilson.
FEATURE: Designing Democracy
Motivations and institutions in democratic politics.
EDITORIAL: Spring 1997
Editorial for POLICY Magazine Spring 1997.
BOOK REVIEW: The Politics of Retribution: The 1996 Federal Election
The Politics of Rertibution: The 1996 Federal Election edited by Clive Bean, Marian Simms, Scott Bennett and John Warhurst...
BOOK REVIEW: Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy
Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy by Michael J. Sandel (Belknap/Harvard University Press.)
A Tribute to the Modest Member: Bert Kelly
Bert Kelly was for many years a lone parliamentary campaigner for free market ideas and against protectionism. He popularised...
BOOK REVIEW: Unwelcome Truths: Edmund Burke on Today's Political Conceits
Unwelcome Truths: Edmund Burke on Today's Political Conceits by Ian Crowe (Research Report 24, The Social Affairs Unit, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Paradox of Parties: Australian Political Parties in the 1990s
The Paradox of Parties: Australian Political Parties in the 1990s edited by Marian Simms (Allen & Unwin, 1996.)
COMMENT: Direct Democracy: The Case Against
Politicians have an incentive to get it right- as do their advisers.
BOOK REVIEW: Contracting Out Government Services: A Review Of International Evidence
Contracting Out Government Services- A Review Of International Evidence by Graeme Hodge (Montech, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Politics of Identity in Australia
The Politics of Identity in Australia edited by Geoffrey Stokes (Cambridge University Press, 1997.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Captive Republic: A History of Republicanism in Australia 1788-1996
The Captive Republic: A History of Republicanism in Australia 1788-1996 by Mary McKenna (Cambridge University Press, 1996.)
COMMENT: Handbrake or Oiling the Wheels of Good Government?
Role of parliament in policy making.
OBITUARY: Bert Kelly
Charles Robert Kelly: 1912-1997.
BOOK REVIEW: Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know That Liberals Don't
Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know That Liberals Don't by George Lakoff (University of Chicago Press, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Winning and Losing: Australian National Elections
Winning and Losing: Australian National Elections by Scott Bennett (Melbourne University Press, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Tunnel Vison: The Failure of Political Imagination
Tunnel Vision: The Failure of Political Imagination by James Walter (Allen & Unwin, 1996.)
BOOK REVIEW: Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Kenneth Minogue (Oxford University Press, 1995.)
REVIEW ARTICLE: After Social Democracy
After Social Democracy: Politics, Capitalism and the Common Life by John Gray (Demos, 1996.)
The Boundaries of Life’s Responsibilities- Community and Nation in a Global Environment
Gary Sturgess argues that globalisation’s tensions can be eased by clarifying the role of each level of government. Many...
BOOK REVIEW: The Greens
The Greens by Bob Brown and Peter Singer (The Text Publishing Company, 1996.)
COMMENT: Independents and the Decline of Good Government
Should there be a strong executive government or a strong parliamentary government?
FEATURE: The CIS At Twenty
Greg Lindsay talks to Andrew Norton on the 20th anniversary of the Centre for Independent Studies.
FEATURE: A Diverse Media Or An Australian Media?
The case for liberalising media ownership laws.
BOOK REVIEW: The Political Economy of Public Administration
The Political Economy of Public Administration by Murray J. Horn (Cambridge University Press, 1995.)
BOOK REVIEW: The Minimal Monarchy and Why It Still Makes Sense For Australia
The Mimal Monarchy and Why It Still Makes Sense for Australia by Tony Abbott (Wakefield Press, 1995.)
REVIEW ARTICLE: Revisiting the Whitlam Dismissal
November 1975 Paul Kelly (Allen & Unwin, 1995.)
BOOK REVIEW: Confessions of a Failed Finance Minister
Confessions of a Failed Finance Minister by Peter Walsh (Random House, 1995.)
BOOK REVIEW: Bad Government
Bad Government by Bob Browning (Canonbury Press, 1995.)
CONTROVERSY: Doing Justice To Telecommunications Equity
There are significant differences of principle between those who advocate government intervention to bring about social justice...
REVIEW ARTICLE: Beyond the Two Party: A Neo-Liberal Perspective
Beyond the Two Party System: Political Representation, Economic Competitiveness and Australian Politics by Ian Marsh (Cambridge...
COMMENT: The States' and Territories' Leaders Forum: A New Experiment in Inter-Government Relations
A discussion of the creation of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and how that body has lead to the creation...
COMMENT: Dismantling Leviathan: The PFI and the UK Government
The Private Finance Intitiative (PFI) is emerging as an important contributor to the continuing decline in the size of the...
BOOK REVIEW: Passion and Constraint: On the Theory of Liberal Democracy
Passion and Constraint: On the Theory of Liberal Democracy by Stephen Holmes (University of Chicago Press, 1995.)
FEATURE: The Unregulated Infobahn
The price of information superhighway intervention.
FEATURE: Electronic Social Justice
Australian ideas about the information have-nots.
FEATURE: National Competition Policy: Realising the Gains
The obstacles to implementing the Hilmer Report.
SCHOOLS' BRIEF: The Distribution and Redistribution of Income and Wealth
One of the many important functions of government involves the distribution and redistribution of income and wealth.
FEATURE: Australian Parliamentary Democracy: One Cheer for The Status Quo
Electoral competition, not parliamentary procedure, is central to the democratic process.
FEATURE: The Ethics and Politics of Environmentalist Deception
The extinction 'crisis' as a case study in environmentalist exaggeration.
BOOK REVIEW: Chasing the Future: Recession, Recovery, and the New Politics in Australia
Chasing the Future: Recession, Recovery, and the New Politics in Australia by Laura Tingle (William Heinemann Australia,...
BOOK REVIEW: Liberalism in Australia
The Heart of Liberalism edited by Ken Aldred, Kevin Andrew and Paul Filing (The Albury Papers, 1994.) For Better or For...
BOOK REVIEW: Developments in Australian Politics
Developments in Australian Politics edited by Judith Brett, James Gillespie and Murray Goot (Macmillan, 1994.)
BOOK REVIEW: Australian Political Ideas
Australian Political Ideas edited by Geoff Stokes (UNSW Press, 1994.)
The Political Economy of Freedom
The Political Economy of Freedom is an eloquent discussion of the importance of a diffusion of power in maintaining freedom.
FEATURE: High On the Reform Agenda: Competitive Federalism
The economic imperatives to reform federal-state relations.
FEATURE: An Interview with Conor Cruise O'Brien
Nationalism, the Republic and what Edmund Burke would have thought of it all.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Two Faces of Australian Republicanism
Monarchists and minimalists risk missing the important constitutional issues.
BOOK REVIEW: The Battles that Shaped Australia: The Australian's Anniversary Essays
The Battles that Shaped Australia: The Australian's Anniversary Essays edited by David Horner (Allen & Unwin, 1994.)
Failure, Chaos and Leadership- Ingredients of Democratic Reform
In this Occasional Paper, delivered as a Bert Kelly Lecture in June 1994, Kenneth P. Baxter says that substantial and far-reaching...
FEATURE: Australia's Long and Rocky Path to Pay TV
The government's other agendas reduced viewers' TV choices.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Civic Community and Modern Democracy
Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy by Robert D. Putnam, Robert Leonardi and Raffaella Y. Nanetti (Princeton...
FEATURE: How Necessary Was the State in Australia's Economic Development?
Not as necessary as we once thought...
NOTES AND COMMENTS: Elected Conventions and Constitutional Change
This article proposes that constitutional change can be initiated in an elected constitutional change be initiated in an...
FEATURE: Keeping the Australian Republic
Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, draws on Republican theory and practice to show that federalism is not an obstacle to Australian...
BOOK REVIEW: Delivering the Goods
Urban Goods Movement: A Guide to Policy and Planning by Kenneth Ogden (Ashgate, 1992).
BOOK REVIEW: Ideologies of Urban Management
Planning, Politics and the State: Political Foundations of Planning Thought by Nicholas Low (Unwin Hyman, 1991.)
Restoring The True Republic
In this Policy Forum, two lawyers and an economist document the drift in Australia's constitutional practices away from republicanism...
FEATURE: New Zealand's Electoral Reform
In November 1993 New Zealanders will vote not only in a general election but also in a binding referendum on electoral reform....
NOTES & COMMENTS: Australia's Ever Growing State
"Contrary to widespread belief, government in Australia did not become smaller in the 1980s. It got bigger."
Multicultural Citizens: The Philosophy and Politics of Identity
Although multiculturalism has been promoted for many years by Australia's main political parties, its meaning and implications...
FEATURE: Non-fiscal Federalism
Intergovernmental Relations and Public Policy edited by Brian Galligan, Owen Hughes and Cliff Walsh (Allen & Unwin, 1991.)
BOOK REVIEW: Overcoming Executive Dominance
The Executive State: WA Inc. and the Constitution edited by Patrick O'Brien & Martyn Webb (Constitutional Press, 1991.)
From Welfare State to Welfare Society
The legitimacy of the welfare state has survived the shift in recent years towards smaller government and a greater role...
BOOK REVIEW: Lessons of Confucius
Governing the Market: Economic Theory and the Role of Government in East Asian Industrialisation by Robert Wade (Princeton...
NOTES & COMMENTS: LEAN Times Ahead?
The Federal Attorney-General's Department is spearheading a proposal to establish a system known as the Law Enforcement Access...
REVIEW ARTICLE: Changing Minds, Changing Attitudes
Economic Rationalism in Canberra: A Nation Building State Changes its Mind by Michael Pusey (Cambridge University Press,...
REVIEW: Secret Ballot, Secret Malice
Politics and Process: New Essays in Democratic Thought edited by Geoffrey Brennan and Loren E. Lomasky (Cambridge University...
REVIEW: Managing the Public Sector
Decision Making in Australian Government edited by Brian Galligan, John Nethercote and Cliff Walsh (Centre for Research on...
BOOK REVIEW: A Liberal Perspective of Australian Politics
The Theory of Politics: An Australian Perspective by Chandran Kukathas, David Lovell and William Maley (Longman Cheshire,...
DEBATE: Comparing Governments and Markets
The Private Interest Theory Debate: Gordon Tullocks argues.
FEATURE: The Private Interest Theory of Politics: Liberal or Authoritarian
Many liberals have accepted the private interest theory of politics as an explanation of the political obstacles to economic...
FEATURE: The Private Interest Theory of Politics: Liberal or Authoritarian?
Many liberals have accepted the private interest theory of politics as an explaination of the political obstacles to eocnomic...
BOOK REVIEW: Not Transforming Industrial Relations
Transforming Industrial Relations edited by Michael Easson and Jeff Shaw (Pluto Press, 1990.)
BOOK REVIEW: Age of Illusion
The Age of Democracy: The Politics of Post Fordism by John Matthews (Oxford University Press, 1989.)
NOTES & COMMENTS: Rejoinder to Clarke and Ng
A rejoinder to Clarke and Ng's The Economic Case for an Open-Door Immigration Policy.
FEATURE: Australia's Upper Houses and their Role in Responsible Government
Concern over the recent conduct of some State Governments in Australia has reawakened interest in how State upper houses...
BOOK REVIEW: ...And What It Should
Limited Government: A Positive Agenda by John Gray (Institute of Economic Affairs, 1989.)
BOOK REVIEW: Public Choice and Public Interest
Wealth, Poverty and Politics by Gordon Tullock (Basil Blackwell, 1988.)
CRITICAL REVIEW: Local Government and Competition Tendering: The Evatt Research Centre Critiquing of Contracting Out
Breach of Contract: Privatisation and the Management of Australian Local Government by the Evatt Research Centre (Pluto Press,...
Are We Winning?
Although classical liberal ideas are at present in the ascendancy, there is no guarantee that they will succeed in the long...
The Third World Debt Crisis: Can’t Pay or Won’t Pay?
In this Occasional Paper, Lord Bauer questions the widely held belief that debt service is a major cause of poverty in Third...
FEATURE: A Better Electoral System For The ACT
The Australian Capital Territory's recently-established Legislative Assembly must by law be lected by proportional representation....
NOTES & COMMENTS: The Bureaucratic Function Algebraically Expressed: A Report On Loevinger's Finding
"The sole purpose of this article is to publicise Loevinger's findings. Ancient as they are, they still constitute the major...
FEATURE: Federalism and the Size of Australia's Public Sector
Federal political systems provide some scope for containing public sector size by encouraging subnational governments to...
BOOK REVIEW: Redesigning Australian Federalism
Taxation and Fiscal Federalism: Essays in Honour of Russell Matthews, edited by G. Brennan, B. S. Grewal and P. Groenewegen...
PRIVATISATION UPDATE: Privatisation of Government In New Zealand and Australia
A summary of the continuing progress of privatisation at all levels of government in New Zealand and Australia.
FEATURE: Putting Consitutionalism Back In The Constitution
The enforcement of party discipline has eroded the Commonwealth Parliament's ability to exercise the checks on Executive...
BOOK REVIEW: Choosing the Good Life
Modern Political Philosophy: Theories of the Just Society by Alan Brown (Penguin Books, 1986.)
Ideas, Interests and Experience: Some Implications for Policy Advice
Economists are increasingly called upon by bureaucrats and government official for policy advice. But economists have not...
How Much Government
Why does government continue to grow despite the declared wishes of politicians of all parties?
Initiative and Referendum: The People's Law
Geoffrey Walker examines the history of direct legislation, how it is used in different countires, whether it favours the...
Democracy in Crisis
Michael C. Jensen and William H. Meckling argue that the capacity of modern governments to transfer property rights unilaterally...
The Constitutional Challenge
Essays on the Australian Constitution, constitutionalism and parliamentary practice. G.S. Reid, James S. Buchanan, Anthony...
Taxation, Inflation and the Role of the Government
In this publication, the proceedings of a seminar conducted by the Centre for Independent Studies, Milton Friedman is joined...
On Buying a Job: The Regulation of a Taxicab in Canberra
Throughout the world, the taxi industry attracts government regulation. Government agencies determine what vehicles may be...
FEATURE: Putting Constutionalism Back in Constitution
The enforcement of party discipline has eroded the Commonwealth Parliament's ability to exercise the checks on Executive...
