Weekly roundup Saturday 15 March
They have ten days to prepare a budget (Treasury ACT)
Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.
Federal-state politics
Looking seriously at the Western Australia election: should a party with 42 percent of the vote win 78 percent of the seats in Parliament? Is the Commonwealth subsidizing Western Australia in a bid to break away from the federation? South Australians show that they are discriminating in their political choices
Other politics
Australians are becoming more gloomy and pessimistic, but we don’t understand why. School kids should not just learn about democracy: they should learn how to do democracy.
State capacity
Three contributions on state capacity – “the ability of governments to achieve their policy goals”, and how it is eroded by politicization of the public service.
Economics
Chalmers has political and economic permission to present an expansive budget. The economic case for boosting JobSeeker payments. Hilda warns about runaway wealth inequality. The gap that isn’t closing. The economic allure of Oodnadatta, Wilcannia and Boulia. The (almost) last word on productivity.
Australia’s public broadcaster
Why do we pay so much in taxes to support commercial media? Malcolm Turnbull takes on a pusillanimous ABC and how Musk has displaced Murdoch.
Public ideas
The polarities of Blue Poles. Why didn’t we listen to Bernie Sanders’ warnings about Reagan?
Van Gough
If you have comments, corrections, or links to other relevant sources, I’d like to hear from you. Please send them to Ian McAuley — ian, at the domain name ianmcauley.com
