Facing record public debt and mounting spending pressures, OECD countries must look beyond traditional tools to secure fiscal sustainability: it can no longer be achieved without public buy-in. This report highlights that empowering public understanding is now an essential component of modern budgeting. It outlines a strategy based on four pillars.

This paper makes the case for narrative as a governing tool. It argues that a growing consensus over public service reform that is preventative and more relational is stalling for want of a story. The paper examines why reform stalls, then makes the case for putting respect at the heart of public service design and...

Government spending decisions are biased towards the short term, contributing to rising government debt levels. This report recommends the adoption of Treasurers' Fiscal Statements to enable governments to engage better with citizens on medium-term pressures and trade-offs in government spending.

Drawing on research into public attitudes, this report evaluates how people respond to different messages around tax reform. It sets out how to communicate the importance of tax rises, bring the public along with the tough but necessary decisions in the coming United Kingdom Budget, and, in turn, help rebuild trust in the state.

A practical guide to contemporary good practice in public policy development in Australia comprising two parts: policymaking checklist and policymaking guidance. This guide is a practical tool – to be used rather than studied – and is particularly aimed at supporting practitioners who are newish to the policymaking process.