“The Toronto 18” Case Study: The Challenges and Pitfalls of Terrorism Research
Seminar
Conducting research in the field of terrorism studies faces several methodological challenges. This paper highlights some of these challenges through a re-examination of the disrupted 2006 “Toronto 18” terrorist plot in Canada. An in-depth case study of this plot was created in 2010 and re-…
The Australian Regime for Fiscal Federalism: Can it be Exported?
Seminar
The Australian regime for horizontal fiscal equalisation (HFE) is administered by the Commonwealth Grants Commission. OECD rates it as one of the most egalitarian in the world. I define HFE, introduce the Australian regime, discuss some current challenges to it, and assess how suitable it would be…
Brexit and the (Possible) Break-up of the UK: A Study in Failed Federalism
Seminar
The Australian Centre for Federalism (ACF) and the ANU Centre for European Studies (CES) present: Brexit and the (Possible) Break-up of the UK: A Study in Failed Federalism The vote in the UK’s 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union was regionally diverse. London, Scotland, and Northern…
Whither Global Health in the Trump Era?
Seminar
Over the course of a generation, global health has moved from being regarded as peripheral to international politics to assuming a prominent place on the global political agenda. Since the election of Donald Trump in the United States and his demonstrated antipathy toward multilateralism and…
A Cause Worth Fighting For: The Contribution of Female Combatants to Rebel Success
Seminar
Several studies suggest that armed resistance movements deploy female fighters because doing so offers specific strategic or tactical advantages; however, little is known about the potential impact of female fighters on the group’s ability to achieve its objectives. I therefore investigate this…
South Australia’s Federation Referendum of 1898: A Quantitative Empirical Enquiry
Seminar
The paper uses data from the 1901 census to throw light of the attributes of electors and electorates that encouraged or discouraged voting Yes in the 1898 SA federation referendum. It is concluded that British birth and an industrial occupation contributed powerfully to voting No in 1898. It is…
Trust, Parties and Leaders: Findings from the 1987-2016 Australian Election Study
Lecture
Political trust is a major issue in contemporary democracies and Australia is no exception. The most recent Australian Election Study found that public satisfaction with democracy and trust in politicians had reached some of the lowest levels ever recorded. The results are indicative of rising…