Preaching democracy abroad is a mistake because democracy is not the essence of good government writes Harry Evans. It is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. To the extent that government in the West has been a more civilised business, it has not been due to democracy but to something far older: constitutionalism, subjecting...

Australia prides itself on being a 'good international citizen'. But how does Australia fare with regard to human rights from an international perspective asks Hilary Charlesworth. It is a party to all major human rights treaties and yet reluctant to make them work at a domestic level. Australia's lack of concern with its international reputation...

How have those involved in the political process, including government, political parties, MPs and civil society groups used new technology ask Peter Chen, Rachel Gibson and Karin Geiselhart. On the one hand there is the potential for increased big brother surveillance of citizens, on the other for broader citizen participation and interactivity in the policy...

Whilst property votes are normally regarded as a relic dating back to an age before mass democracy, they persist in local government elections in much of Australia writes Marian Sawer. Their continued existence is an affront to most modern conceptions of democracy. Australia often prides itself on being a pioneering democracy—noted for inventions such as...

Carol Harlow (LSE) explores how the UK Human Rights Act compromises between upholding European human rights standards and the Westminster principle of parliamentary sovereignty. She finds that the UK government has sometimes been impatient with constraints placed on the war on terror and the war on crime. Strengthening parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms on human rights may...