The Pamela Paul Effect: Books betray us, yet still we cling to them
Many of us still venerate books. The evidence says they are not very good at what is supposed to be their primary job: putting new...
Morrison’s “secret powers” scandal: democracy is safe
Scott Morrison's "secret powers" are being heralded in much of the media as proof that he was up to no good. The simpler explanation is...
High-education voters desert the Liberals
Labor's May 2022 federal election win seems to confirm the approach taken by US political analyst David Shor. The 1 in 20: Paul Fletcher will...
How Shorism might win Australia’s federal election
Looking at Australian politics right now, one thing stands out: the federal ALP has become a little Shorist. That seems like a good idea. The...
The Chinese regime’s defeat in Ukraine
The international reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is delivering China a message: its current approach to the world won't keep working much longer. Does...
Hidden Unpersuaders: How we mistook the digital giants for all-powerful manipulators
The twin threats of "hidden persuasion" and artificial intelligence have now convinced most of us that Google and its ilk are almost uniquely powerful. These...
The Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop’s fragile business case shows governments need an Evaluator-General
We have a broken process for evaluating costly government investments. The evolving plan for an underground railway through Melbourne's middle suburbs reminds us that we...