Government

Growing secrecy limits government accountability

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

By the 1990s, the clipboards were moved out of the lobby, so we asked at the counter to see them.

Key Points: 
  • By the 1990s, the clipboards were moved out of the lobby, so we asked at the counter to see them.
  • For decades, journalists and civic activists have lamented the increasing secrecy of government – the times, they were denied government information, particularly from public records requests.
  • Reports have shown secrecy getting worse at the federal, state and local government levels.

Openness benefits people and society

  • And there are clear benefits: Open records are proven to lead to less sex-offender recidivism, fewer food service complaints, increased trust in government institutions and reduced corruption.
  • Stanford University professor James Hamilton calculated that for every dollar spent by newspapers on public records-based journalism, society realizes benefits worth US$287 in lower taxes and saved lives.

Less transparency year after year

  • Today, you might get it about 12% of the time, and the trend is steadily downward.
  • Every year in mid-March, since 2005, national Sunshine Week has promoted the right of people to acquire public records and attend public meetings.
  • Our research indicates that U.S. government secrecy has never been so prevalent.
  • President Donald Trump’s administration was more secretive than Obama’s, and transparency continues to slide under the Biden administration.

Data tells a piece of the story


According to annual data collected by the U.S. Department of Justice, federal agencies have become more secretive over the past decade:
The prevalence of people getting what they asked for through FOIA requests declined from 38% of the time in 2010 to 17% in 2022.
In 2010, about 13% of the time, federal agencies would reply to FOIA requests by saying they couldn’t find records pertaining to the request. By 2022, the rate of that type of response had increased to 21%, which officials often attributed to outdated record management systems incapable of keeping up with the massive amounts of electronic records, particularly emails.
Backlogs, where requests languish beyond the 20-day legal requirement for completion, have nearly doubled since 2010, from 12% of total requests to 22%. The average number of days it takes to process simple requests, which require little staff time and a smaller volume of records, has doubled since 2014, from 21 days to 41 days, according to Justice Department reports.

  • That includes denying people’s requests about properly withheld intelligence information.
  • But it also includes refusing to release information on topics of great public interest, such as defective consumer products and employment discrimination cases.
  • And some agencies’ public information officers obstruct public access to information.
  • They limit access to the people and documents most important for government transparency and accountability.

Research-based solutions

  • Independent oversight offices with enforcement power, such as in Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania and more than 80 nations, provide private citizens an alternative to litigation.
  • Our preliminary assessment indicates that there is a lot of work left to do, and that Congress and government agencies have ignored many of the recommendations.
  • He is currently director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, a nonpartisan organization at the University of Florida dedicated to research and education in freedom of information since 1977.
  • The Brechner FOI Project coordinates Sunshine Week to educate the public about their right to know.

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising the constitution.

Key Points: 
  • Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising the constitution.
  • One sought to remove a reference to a “woman’s” life “within the home” and recognise the value of “care” provided to others within the home.
  • Referendums were usually just a procedural requirement, imposed by the constitution, for making certain types of legal changes.

The ‘post-crash referendums’

  • Amid a national crisis of confidence, following a crash of historic proportions, a degree of soul-searching was in evidence.
  • Themes of rebirth and renewal came to prominence within what was historically a conservative (and very stable) political system.
  • A series of high-profile disputes between the church and the state followed over the country’s reckoning with this legacy.
  • Beginning in around 2012, referendums came to be used as part of a distinctive project of constitutional modernisation.
  • The blasphemy referendum removed an arcane criminal offence which some regarded as having been effectively impossible to prosecute anyway.

End of an era

  • Again, this was understood as liberalising and modernising a constitutional framework where only traditional marital families were given constitutional recognition.
  • These referendums showed the limits of the project of constitutional liberalisation that has been conducted since the great recession.
  • It seems unlikely that the problem lay in this liberalisation “going too far”, or in a decisive conservative shift in public opinion.
  • These referendum defeats are therefore likely to draw a line under a recent pattern of symbolic and “expressive” referendum use in Ireland.


Eoin Daly does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Rishi Sunak’s plan to redefine extremism is disingenuous – and a threat to democracy

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

This, he has argued, is needed because “our democracy itself is a target” of antisemitic and Islamophobic extremists.

Key Points: 
  • This, he has argued, is needed because “our democracy itself is a target” of antisemitic and Islamophobic extremists.
  • However, the reality is that no measures do more damage to democracy than policy proposals like the one Sunak is promoting.
  • The UK already has a definition for extremism, which is used in efforts to tackle terrorism.
  • A key reason why this definition is not contained in legislation is because it is so vague and unclear.

Vague to vaguer

  • What does it mean to undermine or overturn the rights or freedoms of others?
  • Would arguing for the UK to leave the European convention on human rights count meet the bar?
  • What about calling for restrictions on the right to free speech or the right to protest?

Existing laws are enough

  • But the UK already has numerous laws in place to tackle what it considers to be unacceptable behaviour at protests.
  • The Terrorism Act (which is also incredibly broad) can be used to prosecute people who damage property or create a serious risk to public safety during protests.
  • Counter-terrorism laws can also capture forms of expression at public demonstrations or online.
  • This can now be applied by he police to criminalise protests that are considered to be making too much noise.

The right to protest

  • People may self-censor out of fear of being identified as extremist, not least when their employer has a duty under Prevent.
  • There is a deep danger of conflating protest with extremism and terrorism, undermining the legitimacy of these protests.
  • To stretch the concept of extremism to cover these views is what is actually undermining democracy and the rights and freedoms of others.


Alan Greene does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Brian Mulroney should be recognized for increasing the impact of the Francophonie

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, commonly known as the Francophonie, represents French-speaking countries and regions worldwide.

Key Points: 
  • The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, commonly known as the Francophonie, represents French-speaking countries and regions worldwide.
  • Despite enduring criticism about its bureaucratic nature, the Francophonie’s origins date back to the establishment of the first multilateral francophone agency in Niger in March 1970 and was born of political debate and consensus.
  • Read more:
    Brian Mulroney, champion of free trade, brought Canada closer to the U.S. during his reign as prime minister

A political transition in France and Canada

  • In Canada, Brian Mulroney won the Progressive Conservative Party leadership and became a federal MP after winning a byelection in Nova Scotia in 1983.
  • Mulroney’s roots in Baie Comeau and his acknowledgement of Québec’s distinctiveness set the stage for improved relations between Canada, Québec and France.
  • His tenure as prime minister marked a pivotal shift in Canada’s approach to the Francophonie and its relations with France.

The Versailles summit

  • The first Francophonie summit took place in Versailles in 1986 and Canada played a significant role.
  • Many experts believe the Versailles summit strengthened the geopolitical impact of the Francophonie’s institutions.
  • The heads of state and government who gathered in Versailles in 1986 accepted Mulroney’s proposal to host a second summit in Québec.

The Québec City summit

  • The second Francophonie summit in 1987 in Québec City also presented an opportunity to build closer ties between the province and the rest of Canada.
  • He also hosted the 1987 Commonwealth Summit in Vancouver, where he used his diplomatic skills to further condemn the apartheid regime of South Africa.
  • As Mulroney prepared for the Québec City Francophonie summit, the Meech Lake Accord recognized the province as a distinct society.

Proud Canadian and Francophile

  • That included a call to erase a portion of the public debt of African members of the Francophonie at the Dakar summit in 1989.
  • The late prime minister was among them in transforming the organization into the substantive geopolitical entity that it is today.


Christophe Premat received funding from the Nordic and Baltic Cooperation with the educational grant Nordplus for the years 2020-2022. With the help of this grant, he created an introductory online course on Canadian Studies.

‘Applying for a home felt harder than applying for a job’: NZ private rentals won’t solve need for emergency housing

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Established in 2016, the emergency housing programme – short-term housing for people with nowhere to stay – was meant to be a stop-gap measure.

Key Points: 
  • Established in 2016, the emergency housing programme – short-term housing for people with nowhere to stay – was meant to be a stop-gap measure.
  • People seeking access to emergency housing will need to prove they have made “a reasonable effort” to secure a home in the private rental sector.
  • Our research on the factors that shape people’s housing outcomes, experiences and journeys shows the private rental sector can often exacerbate housing precarity.

Housing discrimination is widespread

  • Our survey of 800 residents across seven neighbourhoods in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch revealed experiences of housing discrimination are widespread in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Nearly half of all renters reported directly experiencing discrimination when trying to rent a home.
  • Read more:
    As NZ struggles to resolve its long-running housing crisis, investors should be taxed for keeping homes empty

    When asked for examples to illustrate their experiences of discrimination, renters and owners alike provided stories of struggling to secure private rental housing at some point in their lives.

The instability of renting

  • This situation is made worse by the instability of rental housing.
  • Our survey results show a mere 12% of private rental tenants have lived in only one home over the past ten years.
  • This stands in stark contrast to 47% of owner-occupiers but also 39% of public housing tenants.
  • It takes time and effort to secure a home, especially one that is affordable and suitable for a household’s needs.

Private rental sector is not a solution

  • Recent research in Aotearoa and the United Kingdom has shown private renting adversely affects renters’ health and wellbeing.
  • Moreover, a Western Australian initiative to require public housing applicants to prove they had tried to get a private rental was dismantled following a 2004 inquiry.
  • Responding to the emergency housing crisis with greater reliance on the private rental sector amounts to fighting fire with fire.


Jessica Terruhn receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for the WERO research programme. She is affiliated with Renters United. Francis L Collins receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He has previously received other funding from Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand.

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

If you’ve recently entered the workforce or the housing market, you may still be wrapping your mind around all of these terms.

Key Points: 
  • If you’ve recently entered the workforce or the housing market, you may still be wrapping your mind around all of these terms.
  • Here is what you need to know about the different types of taxes and how they affect you.
  • When you earn money If you are an employee or own a business, taxes are deducted from your salary or profits you make.
  • If you are self-employed, you will have to pay your taxes via an annual tax return assessment.
  • The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.
  • The government collects taxes from all sources and sets its spending plans accordingly, borrowing to make up any difference between the two.

Income tax

  • The amount of income tax you pay is determined by where your income sits in a series of “bands” set by the government.
  • Almost everyone is entitled to a “personal allowance”, currently £12,570, which you can earn without needing to pay any income tax.
  • You then pay 20% in tax on each pound of income you earn (across all sources) from £12,570-£50,270.

National insurance

  • National insurance contributions (NICs) are a second “tax” you pay on your income – or to be precise, on your earned income (your salary).
  • While Jeremy Hunt, the current chancellor of the exchequer, didn’t adjust income tax meaningfully in this year’s budget, he did announce a cut to NICs.
  • This was a surprise to many, as we had already seen rates fall from 12% to 10% on incomes higher than £242/week in January.

Other taxes

  • Wealth taxes may be in line for a change.
  • In the budget, the chancellor reduced capital gains taxes on sales of assets such as second properties (from 28% to 24%).
  • There are calls from many quarters though to look again at these types of taxes.


Andy Lymer and his colleagues at the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University currently or have recently received funding for their research work from a variety of funding bodies including the UK's Money and Pension Service, the Aviva Foundation, Fair4All Finance, NEST Insight, the Gambling Commission, Vivid Housing and the ESRC, amongst others.

As Erdoğan hints at retirement, how has his rule shaped Turkey?

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The statement, made at a meeting for the Turkish Youth Foundation, was not an official announcement by any means.

Key Points: 
  • The statement, made at a meeting for the Turkish Youth Foundation, was not an official announcement by any means.
  • Rather, it was what appeared to be a frank statement communicated to a young party audience.
  • Mincing words is not usually Erdoğan’s style; he can be quite direct and candid, which has been one of the key appeals of his charismatic personality.
  • Understandably, response to the speech, both within and outside of Turkey, has so far been somewhat muted.

Erdoğan’s legacy

  • It is perhaps too early to judge Erdoğan’s political legacy comprehensively.
  • But his impact on the nation’s trajectory, its regional standing, social structures and government institutions has been undeniable.
  • The two sides had a falling out and Erdoğan accused the movement of being behind the failed coup in 2016.
  • From 2002 until the early 2010s, Turkey’s economy experienced unprecedented growth, fueled by increased foreign investment and large scale projects.
  • The economic success of these years lifted millions into the middle class and led to higher living standards overall.

A Post-Erdoğan era?

  • His son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, once touted as a clear frontrunner in the race to succeed him, has since left active politics.
  • If a new president continues much of the similar policies and has a non-disruptive approach, then a peaceful transition is plausible.
  • But Erdoğan’s party failing to concede a loss, or his voter base failing to recognize the results, may lead to a turbulent transition.


Yasar Bukan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Surviving fishing gear entanglement isn’t enough for endangered right whales – females still don’t breed afterward

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

On Feb. 14, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the whale was #5120 in a catalog that tracks individual right whales.

Key Points: 
  • On Feb. 14, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the whale was #5120 in a catalog that tracks individual right whales.
  • Further, the agency said, rope that had been deeply embedded in the whale’s tail had likely come from lobster fishing gear in Maine.
  • Entanglement in fishing gear is a deadly threat to these critically endangered animals.
  • Scientists estimate that before commercial whaling scaled up in the 18th and 19th centuries, there may have been as many as 10,000 North Atlantic right whales.
  • When whales become entangled in fishing gear, they use extra energy dragging it as they swim.

Smaller females are having fewer young

  • By 2018 there were only about 73 breeding females left, representing roughly half of all females and a sixth of the entire species.
  • Other research has shown that poor health and physical condition are making it harder for these females to even start breeding.
  • Smaller whales have fewer calves.
  • Many organizations are involved in tracking North Atlantic right whales, including government agencies, aquariums and conservation groups.
  • Even females who have previously reproduced are less likely to breed again following an entanglement event.
  • By identifying and photographing whales repeatedly over time, scientists can estimate different stages of their life, such as when females give birth.

Weakness of current regulations

  • If they are larger and enter the blubber, they are classified as moderate.
  • Our research makes it clear that such value-laden terms are potentially misleading because even minor entanglements can threaten whales’ successful reproduction.
  • In our view, these measures do not give enough weight to preventing all types of entanglements, regardless of severity.
  • And the plan closes trap fishing areas seasonally when whales are known to be present in those zones.

Coming back from the brink

  • While these estimates seem promising, females need to start and continue producing calves to increase whales’ numbers.
  • From our work, it is very clear that both lethal and sublethal impacts of entanglements are of grave concern for these whales.
  • She also is a member of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee.
  • Peter Corkeron consults for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility on right whale conservation issues.
  • Rob Harcourt receives funding from the Australian Federal Government Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water for research on right whales.

What can we expect from six more years of Vladimir Putin? An increasingly weak and dysfunctional Russia

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The only real question is whether he will receive more than 75% of the vote.

Key Points: 
  • The only real question is whether he will receive more than 75% of the vote.
  • It could be tempting to see these results as a sign of the strength of the Russian system.
  • It is also increasingly dysfunctional, trapped in a cycle of poor quality and weak governance that cannot be solved by one man, no matter how much power he has.

The constitutional dark arts

  • This centralisation is the product of an increasingly common logic that I call the “constitutional dark arts”.
  • This logic generally holds that democracy and rights protection are best guaranteed in a constitutional system that centralises authority in one elected leader.
  • This line of thinking is present in many populist, authoritarian countries, such as Hungary and Turkey.
  • Thirty years later, however, we can see how this use of the “constitutional dark arts” backfired spectacularly.

Poor quality governance in Russia

  • Although this centralised system has allowed Putin to dominate politics, it fosters weak and poor governance, particularly outside Moscow.
  • First, centralised decision-making in Russia is often made using incomplete or false information.
  • It was based on intelligence that the operation would be over quickly and Ukrainians would likely welcome Russian forces.
  • In his February 29 address to parliament, Putin tacitly acknowledged these problems, promising new national projects to improve infrastructure, support families and enhance the quality of life.

An increasingly dysfunctional Russia

  • Externally, this centralisation is likely to produce an increasingly unpredictable Russia, led by a man making decisions on the basis of an increasingly paranoid world view and incorrect or manipulated information.
  • It will likely foster harsher repression of any dissenting voices inside Russia, as well.
  • We are also likely to see an increasingly dysfunctional Russia, one in which roads, housing, schools, health care and other infrastructure will continue to deteriorate, particularly outside of Moscow.


William Partlett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Petrol, pricing and parking: why so many outer suburban residents are opting for EVs

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.

Key Points: 
  • Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.
  • As residents in the outer suburbs reel from price rises seemingly everywhere, more and more are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to slash their fuel bill.
  • Last year, EV orders for outer suburban residents (43%) overtook inner suburban residents (39%) for the first time.

Outer suburbs rely on cars

  • Research from 2020 shows most outer suburban residents who commute have to travel between 10 and 30 kilometres.
  • This affects outer suburban, rural and regional residents the most, given they cover the most distance.
  • Outer suburban residents are more likely to have solar on their rooftops than inner suburban residents in Sydney and Melbourne.
  • In fact, the outer suburbs are better placed than inner suburbs in terms of charging cheaply.
  • In the inner suburbs, space is at a premium and many houses do not have off-street parking.
  • But outer suburban homes tend to have off street parking or a garage, which means you can charge cheaply at home.

EVs versus the cost of living

  • It would make financial sense for many of us to switch to EVs to take advantage of much cheaper running and maintenance costs.
  • But the higher up-front cost of EVs has long been a disincentive.
  • In Australia, the cheapest EVs now start from A$40,000, though most still cost $60,000–$90,000.

What are governments doing?

  • Some state governments are trying to accelerate adoption with a range of incentives for EV owners, from subsidies to cheaper registration.
  • The interest was so strong in Victoria and South Australia that these governments have wound back some subsidies.
  • At a federal level, the proposed new vehicle efficiency standards will encourage carmakers to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles.

What’s next?

  • Outer suburban residents are buying electric vehicles for very good reasons: financial prudence, practicality and a cleaner future.
  • Read more:
    Electric vehicles are suddenly hot − but the industry has traveled a long road to relevance


Park Thaichon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.