Democratic renewal

The best-designed policy in the world is meaningless without a healthy democracy. Democracy is not simply a checklist of institutions such as regular elections or an independent judiciary. Rather than a final destination, democracy should be seen as the task of continually expanding the power of citizens to influence the decisions that affect their lives. The Centre for Policy Development’s Democratic Renewal program looks at how Australia can approach that task in new and innovative ways.

On Liberty (and Social Democracy, the State and citizen empowerment)

Tony Moore

Reviewing the strong legacy of libertarianism as an influence on and counterbalance to social democracy, Tony Moore calls for a new politics of citizen power.

National Identity, Democracy & Racism Forum

Posing some big questions about what our national identity, a more open democracy and addressing racism mean for the progressive movement, this forum brings together some key thinkers to ponder some big ideas about where… more

Case Study: Public Sphere as a Gov 2.0 example of Open Government

Kate Lundy

Senator Lundy and Pia Waugh – founders of the Public Sphere initiative – outline the three pillars of Open Government and how they relate to Gov 2.0. They also present… more

Foreword – Lindsay Tanner

Lindsay Tanner

Minister for Finance Lindsay Tanner outlines his Government 2.0 reform agenda – how to make government smarter, cheaper, and more informed, responsive and engaged.

What is Gov2.0?

What is Gov2.0? It means many things to many people…..how would you define it?

CPD ideas for the Gov2.0 Taskforce: open sourcing policy development?

Miriam Lyons

The open source software world has a lot to teach us about collaborating to produce ‘public goods’. Miriam Lyons explores the parallels and flags some ideas on how we can overcome the obstacles to upgrading… more

Web2.0 tools for Gov2.0 beginners: a practical guide

Barry Saunders

Barry Saunders presents a practical how-to-guide for public servants, politicians or community organisers who want to start using Web2.0 tools.

Upgrading Democracy: Opening Doors

Miriam Lyons

How many Australians hate voting, let alone think of taking a more active role in the development of Government policy? Miriam Lyons argues that the most effective form of democratic renewal is for governments to… more

Upgrading Democracy: Opening Windows

Miriam Lyons

CPD’s Executive Director Miriam Lyons reflects on the difference between stronger Freedom of Information laws and an ‘open access’ mindset, and argues that it’s time to open the windows of government and let some more… more