Author Archives: Nicholas Gruen

Demarchy 2020: by John Burnheim

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Another post from John Burnheim who wrote this following up on having received some questions from some Spaniards. (Reminding me of the title of John Lennon’s book, or perhaps it was just a joke of his somewhere: A Spaniard in … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Sortition and citizens’ juries | Leave a comment

How culture war is destroying public reason: COVID edition

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Cross-posted from The Mandarin (and written about ten days ago, so it fails to mention Adelaide’s latest snafu). Lockdowns, border closures, masks, apps and eradication. Where do you stand?  One can’t sensibly address any of these issues without knowing more … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Health | 137 Comments

The vaccine and the COVID culture war

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Well, we look like getting a vaccine! Of course managing the policy response to the virus could know of this only as a possibility. But, looking like it is coming to pass, that possibility seems to produce a final scorecard … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Health | 109 Comments

Capitalism and democracy: can a difficult marriage be patched up?

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Here’s a great lecture by Martin Wolf who’s writing a book on capitalism and democracy. It’s well worth watching I think. And, as is my custom, and despite Paul’s thinking that the result is so buggy it may not be … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics and public policy | 7 Comments

Fundraising for a scholarship: Please give!

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

This June I was approached by Yuan Yuan Liu who wanted to discuss funding of scholarships for disadvantaged people with me “as you are the best economist in the country”. This is precisely the kind of shocking lapse of judgement … Continue reading →

Posted in Blegs, Education | Leave a comment

From Trump to eternity: The fate of the political arts in the modern world

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Published in and edited form in The Conversation. Martin Wolf has a crisp face-to-camera opinion piece in which he points out that populism in government hasn’t lined up neatly against relative success in keeping populations safe from COVID. Thus in … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Sortition and citizens’ juries | 11 Comments

Playacting government: Victoria’s COVID response

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Nicholas Gruen

Life in the West is increasingly reminding me of the old Soviet joke. “We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us”.   Herewith an email I received this morning. Nick I am going troppo about the Vic policy … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Ethics, Health, Innovation, Politics - national | 5 Comments