The Indonesian military appears to be taking advantage of a weak president and unpopular police to try and regain some of the internal security functions that it lost as part of the country’s democratisation process. Introduction Since Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took office in October 2014, the actions of the police have triggered widespread...

In contemporary Australian society, there are regular calls for worthwhile and informed discussions regarding issues of public interest.

This essay collection includes the ideas of 39 leading thinkers, policy makers and activists. The essays touch on a wide range of topics, including the public interest in asylum seeker policy, Indigenous futures, the environment, education and inequality. They also look at what is ailing in Australian democracy and suggest some people-focused remedies.

Overview: Counterinsurgency expert and military strategist Dr David Kilcullen delivered The Centre for Independent Studies’ 2014 John Bonython Lecture with a crucial and fascinating exploration of recurring Occidentalism, why Western values are anathema to Islamists, and why we must take decisive action now to counter the Jihadist ideology that is spreading around the world. The...

New research shows an increasing level of discontent among western democracies, with a diminishing number of people in Australia who believe voting makes a difference. Matt O'Neil and Tim Roxburgh investigate what this growing disenchantment will mean for world politics in 2015. • Despite huge differences between countries, surveys of political attitudes around the western...