The increasingly broad scope of international trade agreements has raised widespread concern about the implications for popular sovereignty. Internationally, most attention has been focused on the World Trade Organization. In Australia, the same issue has arisen in relation to the free trade agreement negotiated with the United States in January and recently ratified by the...

In this detailed study, Barry Hindess from the Democratic Audit Team argues that corruption 'is a more substantial problem than Australia's impressive performance on conventional international measures would seem to indicate'.

Following an ACT Electoral Commission recommendation to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government, the territory's Electoral Act was amended in December 2000 to permit electronic voting and counting for ACT Legislative Assembly elections. Phillip Green, the Australian Capital Territory Electoral Commissioner, reflects on the ACT's experience with electronic voting.

Ever since above-the-line voting was introduced for the Australian Senate in 1984 there has been concern over what happens with preferences under this system. Marian Sawer examines the problems of this voting system and looks at options for reform.

One of the most important features of representative democracy is the strength of the linkages between citizens and elected representatives. It is commonly thought that the electoral system, particularly the ballot structure used when citizens cast a vote, plays an important role in this process. In this paper Pippa Norris examines the pattern of contact...