What is populism – and why is it so hard to define?
Nov 26, 2018 16:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
We live in a moment in which the word populism is never far from the lips of politicians (although oh so rarely of the populist politicians themselves). We hear the word repeated over and over, but once we try to get a...

How an EU citizens' assembly could help to renew European democracy
Nov 26, 2018 16:19 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Theres an urgent need to reduce the distance between citizens of EU member states and the EUs political institutions, to challenge the rise of populism and to renew citizen engagement in the way those institutions make...
Shades of Brazil as anti-corruption drive in South Africa turns nasty
Nov 26, 2018 16:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
What better way to derail an anti-corruption campaign than to beat it at its own game? You might damage or derail democracy in the process, but that is the countrys problem, not yours. Anti-corruption campaigns are...
Labor's policy can smooth the energy transition, but much more will be needed to tackle emissions
Nov 26, 2018 15:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The Labor partys energy policy platform, released last week, is politically clever and would likely be effective. It includes plans to underwrite renewable energy and storage, and other elements that would help the energy...
Senate president Scott Ryan launches grenade against the right
Nov 26, 2018 15:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Senate president Scott Ryan has called out the right within the Liberal party and among commentators, declaring that Liberal voters dont want views rammed down their throats. In a trenchant critique of federal...

Donald Trump, the upside: he's forcing journalism to do better
Nov 23, 2018 10:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The presidency of Donald Trump and has been widely and often fairly lambasted in the mainstream media. But that doesnt mean that positive things cant come out of its negative consequences. Indeed, one good coming out...
Trump's new Iranian oil sanctions may inflict pain at home without serving strategic objectives
Nov 14, 2018 12:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The Trump administration has formally imposed new sanctions on Iran aimed at hindering Irans oil exports a move that had been in the works for six months. The U.S. government has also made a second, more surprising,...