Policymakers need empirical research, and a lot of researchers aspire to influence public policy, writes Stephen Easton.

The Federal government will soon consider a draft National Action Plan that will articulate how the Coalition promises to promote open government and finalise membership to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), following a very tight public consultation period. The OGP is a voluntary, multi-stakeholder international initiative created to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and...

Former head of the United Kingdom's Government Digital Service, Mike Bracken, argues that the third wave of digital transformation will force old fashioned structures and systems of government to give way to platforms that can deal with an increasingly uncertain future, including the new era of big data.

People don’t trust politicians much, so simply asking citizens if they trust government in general elicits some pretty negative reactions. Look a little deeper, beyond this simplified view that lumps everything from all tiers of government together, and the situation isn’t nearly as bad. And some researchers think the unelected public officials need to play...