Prime ministers: explaining why some succeed and others fail. Some prime ministers succeed but others fail, even though both nominally have the same powers. Why is there a difference? This project will examine their statecraft to explain how they use those powers in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada and with what effect.
Hierarchy to high-performance? Evaluating 30yrs of Senior Executive Service. This project aims to evaluate whether Senior Executive Service (SES) schemes, introduced in the public sector the 1980s, have enabled the delivery of superior performance. This study will examine all nine Australian jurisdictions, across time in order to identify how and why institutional frameworks changed, analyse the composition of the SES and identify their changing roles and accountabilities. The expected outcomes ....Hierarchy to high-performance? Evaluating 30yrs of Senior Executive Service. This project aims to evaluate whether Senior Executive Service (SES) schemes, introduced in the public sector the 1980s, have enabled the delivery of superior performance. This study will examine all nine Australian jurisdictions, across time in order to identify how and why institutional frameworks changed, analyse the composition of the SES and identify their changing roles and accountabilities. The expected outcomes will provide a better understanding of the profile and roles of executives who lead policy development and service delivery, and an evaluation of whether current institutional frameworks optimise their capacity to perform their role.Read moreRead less
Cabinet Government in comparative perspective. This project explores how cabinet government is, or is not, able to develop a collective will. Cabinets lie at the heart of parliamentary systems, but public and academic analyses question whether they work effectively. Using examples of majoritarian and consensus democratic regimes, this project plans to examine how cabinets work and identify the different functions cabinet plays in developing collective views of policy or political situations. The ....Cabinet Government in comparative perspective. This project explores how cabinet government is, or is not, able to develop a collective will. Cabinets lie at the heart of parliamentary systems, but public and academic analyses question whether they work effectively. Using examples of majoritarian and consensus democratic regimes, this project plans to examine how cabinets work and identify the different functions cabinet plays in developing collective views of policy or political situations. The project expects to illustrates how the different appreciations of cabinet, whether seen as constitutional or operational, or in terms of policy analysis or political contests, help define the values of cabinet and can allow us to understand in what circumstances cabinet government is important in terms of stability and sensible policy. It asks if collective cabinets like Australia's can survive in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Small States in International Organisations. By analysing whether small states can have an impact on the operations of international organisations (IOs), the project aims to identify the benefits, problems and prospects of modern multilateralism where more and more states actively participate. IOs are under pressure because more of their members have become active participants in their daily operations, trying to ensure the IOs are 'member-driven'. Some of the smallest states have had an impact. ....Small States in International Organisations. By analysing whether small states can have an impact on the operations of international organisations (IOs), the project aims to identify the benefits, problems and prospects of modern multilateralism where more and more states actively participate. IOs are under pressure because more of their members have become active participants in their daily operations, trying to ensure the IOs are 'member-driven'. Some of the smallest states have had an impact. This project asks how, while operating with yesterday’s formal structures and rules, IOs have adapted to accommodate the participation of so many diverse states. Covering six IOs over the last 25 years, the project plans to identify the dynamic relationship between IO leaders and staff, and both their small and large member states. Project outcomes may inform the ways in which Australia could help to build the capacities of its smaller neighbours so that they can take advantage of their IO membership.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100936
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$452,353.00
Summary
Brideprice, Conflict, and Violence Against Women in Asia. This study aims to investigate where, how and why brideprice facilitates armed conflict and violence against women. Emerging evidence shows paying high brideprice incentivises men to join armed groups, and global modelling correlates brideprice and armed conflict. However, despite the exorbitant sums exchanged as brideprice in many societies, the socio-economic mechanisms connecting brideprice and conflict are not well understood. Expecte ....Brideprice, Conflict, and Violence Against Women in Asia. This study aims to investigate where, how and why brideprice facilitates armed conflict and violence against women. Emerging evidence shows paying high brideprice incentivises men to join armed groups, and global modelling correlates brideprice and armed conflict. However, despite the exorbitant sums exchanged as brideprice in many societies, the socio-economic mechanisms connecting brideprice and conflict are not well understood. Expected project outcomes are (1) data on volumes and prevalence of brideprice (2) understanding links to armed conflict and violence against women in Southeast Asia. This project’s findings will support more effective Australian gender equality and peacebuilding programs that take account of brideprice.Read moreRead less
The politics of expertise during COVID-19. Experts play a crucial role during crises. This project aims to examine how four governments (Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) have incorporated public health expertise into their decision making during COVID-19. These countries have similar economic resources, liberal democratic institutions, health system capacities and pandemic preparedness. Yet, their governments responded differently to COVID-19. We will conduct a comparative st ....The politics of expertise during COVID-19. Experts play a crucial role during crises. This project aims to examine how four governments (Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) have incorporated public health expertise into their decision making during COVID-19. These countries have similar economic resources, liberal democratic institutions, health system capacities and pandemic preparedness. Yet, their governments responded differently to COVID-19. We will conduct a comparative study of how governments managed disagreements between experts and how they integrated diverse expert views into pandemic decision making processes. The research will advance our understanding of the role of experts during crises and help inform governments response to future pandemics. Read moreRead less
Contested multilateralism 2.0 and Asia Pacific security. This project aims to examine the foreign policy choices of five major powers – the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia – toward multilateral institutions in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War through an economic-security-nexus model. Through in-depth theoretical and empirical case studies, this project will explore when states are more likely to rely on rule-based institutions or to use power-based strategies, such as a ....Contested multilateralism 2.0 and Asia Pacific security. This project aims to examine the foreign policy choices of five major powers – the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia – toward multilateral institutions in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War through an economic-security-nexus model. Through in-depth theoretical and empirical case studies, this project will explore when states are more likely to rely on rule-based institutions or to use power-based strategies, such as alliance formation, to pursue security in world politics. This project aims to provide policy insights for Australian policy makers to conduct a sensible and effective “Asia policy” in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Westminster Transplanted and Westminster Implanted: Explanations for Political Change. Why have Westminster systems,adopted across the world, been so resilient in different environments? By exploring how different nations have adapted the core executive components of Westminster by combining local traditions with inherited practices, the project will identify what conditions provided the stability and security that often emerged. By comparing performance across nations it will explain why Westmi ....Westminster Transplanted and Westminster Implanted: Explanations for Political Change. Why have Westminster systems,adopted across the world, been so resilient in different environments? By exploring how different nations have adapted the core executive components of Westminster by combining local traditions with inherited practices, the project will identify what conditions provided the stability and security that often emerged. By comparing performance across nations it will explain why Westminster practices were so adaptable. This is the first longitudinal study seeking to explain political development in societies that inherited executive practices from the same source. It has the potential to identify how and why future constitutional transplants might succeed.Read moreRead less
Revitalising Indigenous-state relations in Australia . This project aims to investigate the complexity of Indigenous affairs governance and the ongoing tensions in the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Australian state. The project expects to generate new data on contemporary Indigenous governance arrangements and analyse them using an original conceptual framework to inform knowledge-exchange workshops designed to advance proposed new approaches. Expecte ....Revitalising Indigenous-state relations in Australia . This project aims to investigate the complexity of Indigenous affairs governance and the ongoing tensions in the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Australian state. The project expects to generate new data on contemporary Indigenous governance arrangements and analyse them using an original conceptual framework to inform knowledge-exchange workshops designed to advance proposed new approaches. Expected outcomes of this project include concrete proposals for re-setting Indigenous-settler relations and Indigenous affairs policy. This should provide significant benefits in the field of Indigenous governance including plans for more genuine transformation in Australian Indigenous-settler relations.Read moreRead less
Visualising Humanitarian Crises: Transforming Images and Aid Policy. This project aims to draw on the power of images to transform practices of aid. Prevailing visualisations of humanitarian crises are powerful but problematic. They often focus on violence and depict victims in stereotypical and dehumanising ways. The project develops new evidence-based visual strategies through interdisciplinary collaborations with leading industry partners in Australia and internationally. Expected outcomes in ....Visualising Humanitarian Crises: Transforming Images and Aid Policy. This project aims to draw on the power of images to transform practices of aid. Prevailing visualisations of humanitarian crises are powerful but problematic. They often focus on violence and depict victims in stereotypical and dehumanising ways. The project develops new evidence-based visual strategies through interdisciplinary collaborations with leading industry partners in Australia and internationally. Expected outcomes include best practice guidelines that better equip humanitarian organisations to help people in need and contribute to enduring political solutions. Resulting benefits are more effective aid policies at a time when humanitarian concerns are increasingly central to global stability and Australia’s national interest.Read moreRead less