"Claims of an infrastructure crisis lack definition, and fail to provide evidence that investment projects that would generate an economic return, including both private and social benefits, are not being funded." Copyright (c)2008 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied...

La plupart des pays Membres de l’OCDE se sont efforcés au cours des 10-15 dernières années de renouveler leurs systèmes et leurs structures de gestion publique. Certains ont pris le départ plus tôt que d’autres, et les points forts ont varié selon les traditions historiques et les...

Newspoll reported in 2000 that by a margin of 70 to 28 per cent, Australians would prefer the gap between rich and poor to get smaller rather than have the nation's overall wealth grow as quickly as possible. This article examines the reasons for the increase in the dispersion of earnings, and...

An independent Scotland would be a small European state. Small states may be at a disadvantage in world markets but can also adapt successfully. There are different modes of adaptation, notably the market-liberal mode and the social investment state. Either mode is dependent on internal...

The rise of the meso level of government in Europe can be explained by the pressures of managing national diversity, functional restructuring and political change. Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom all have such a level but taking very different forms. All have embarked on a second round of...

Despite strong economic growth and low inflation, many Australians believe that the benefits and costs have not been fairly shared and that inequality has been rising. Indeed, according to Newspoll, 'by a margin of 70-28 per cent, Australians would prefer the gap between rich and poor to get...

The interface of the income tax and social security systems and the overlapping of different income tests can result in very high effective marginal rates of tax. This can create strong disincentives for those who receive cash transfers to move off welfare and/or increase their private income....