Current Projects |
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Investigators: John Dryzek, Lyn Carson (University of Sydney), Simon Niemeyer, Janette Hartz-Karp (Curtin University), Luca Belgiorno-Nettis (New Democracy Foundation), Ron Lubensky (University of Sydney), Ian Marsh (University of Tasmania), John Gastil (University of Washington).
Description: The pioneering Australian Citizens’ Parliament was held in February 2009 in Old Parliament House, Canberra. The participants were 150 ordinary Australians, selected by stratified random sampling, one from each federal electoral district. They deliberated the question ‘How can Australia’s political system be strengthened to serve us better?’ The project generated a mountain of quantitative and qualitative data which is now being analysed. For more information see http://www.citizensparliament.org.au/ where you can see a video of the process and a lecture about it by John Dryzek.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Linkage, and New Democracy Foundation
Investigators: Hayley Stevenson and John Dryzek
Description: In taking deliberative democracy to the global level, no topic is more important than climate change. The idea is to map the key components of the global deliberative system for the governance of climate change, and assess how effectively they are working in deliberative terms. To the extent this proves to be a deliberative system in disrepair, we need to develop ideas for realistic reform of the system. The international system currently suffers from a severe democratic deficit, but any strengthening of democracy at international and global levels will almost certainly look very different from familiar models found in liberal democratic states.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Federation Fellowship
Communication Across Difference in a Democracy: Australian Muslims and the Mainstream
Investigators: Bora Kanra, John Dryzek
Description: Australian Muslims have been at the centre of media attention particularly since September the 11th. Even though they comprise no more than 1,5 per cent of the total population, the debate on the compatibility of Islamic and Western values has been very prominent. To date, this debate has focused little attention on the attitudes of Australian Muslims and how they perceive themselves in relation to Western values. This gap, often filled by negative stereotypes, has a wide range of implications in the area of contemporary governance and public policy. This research project studies the relationship between Islamic communities in Australia and the wider society in the context of ideas about cultural difference and democracy. The degree to which Australian Muslims develop a sense of belonging and social responsibility towards mainstream society is directly linked to the level of their inclusion as well as participation in Australia's multicultural scheme. This project aims to contribute to the possibilities to foster a more productive social and political relationship between Australian Muslims and the mainstream. The empirical substance consists of interviews with both Muslims and non-Muslims, with a view to mapping and analysing discourses about difference and democracy in Australia. The knowledge generated can then be deployed to identify exactly how communication across difference can be promoted in this kind of case. The research is informed by a theoretical perspective that highlights the role of social learning in deliberation in a diverse and democratic society. The project studies both ordinary citizens and opinion leaders in Islamic and non-Islamic communities.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Discovery
Investigators: Bora Kanra, Ken Mavor,
Emma Thomas,
Caroline Blink,
Kerry O’Brien
Description: The Diversity Dialogue Day, held on 30 May 2009, was the first event organised by investigators Dr Bora Kanra and John Dryzek as part of 'Communication Across Difference in a Democracy: Australian Muslims and the Mainstream' project. The project was coordinated by a team of researchers from ANU as part of a cross-disciplinary research collaboration between Political Science, the Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS), and the Psychology Department. The Dialogue Day was part of a community-based research program aiming to foster harmony between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians, and to understand how best this might be achieved. The Dialogue Day brought together more than 30 people of both Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds from around Canberra. A second Dialogue Day is planned for 2010 in Auburn, Sydney.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Discovery ((DP 0773626), and Research School of Social Sciences, ANU
Investigators: Simon Niemeyer, Kersty Hobson, Will Steffen, Janette Lindesay, Brendan Mackey, Jacqui Russell, Melanie Poole, Ben Moody
Description: This project develops an understanding of Australia’s response to climate change and ways to improve adaptation from a governance perspective. An interdisciplinary team will construct and use original climate change scenarios to assess public responses through interviews, survey methods, contrasting individual responses with results of deliberative forums and follow up interviews. Significant developments in methods and concepts and understanding of adaptation will have an international audience. It will produce a series of regionally specific scenarios, statement of likely responses and role of institutional design and policy in improving adaptation.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Discovery
Deliberative Democratization in China
Investigators: John Dryzek and Baogang He (Deakin University)
Description: An innovative deliberative path to democratization may be especially applicable to China, where traditional paths involving constitutionalism and party competition are obstructed or problematic. China has however allowed substantial deliberative innovation at the local level, in part to help cope with the social and environmental dislocation attending rapid economic growth. The broader intent is to develop a generalizable approach to democratization, emphasizing deliberative capacity.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Federation Fellowship & ANU matching funds
A Deliberative Global Citizens’ Assembly
Investigators: John Dryzek, André Bächtiger, Karolina Milewicz, Alessandra Pecci, Melanie Poole.
Description: Building on the successful Australian Citizens’ Parliament held in 2009, the idea is to explore the prospects for a global assembly composed of more or less randomly selected participants. This can be contrasted with existing proposals for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, which rely upon problematic combinations of state-nominated participants and a tortuous path to global elections.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Federation Fellowship
Investigators: John Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer and Selen Ayirtman
Description: This project explores the nature of democratic deliberation with a view to improving theories of democracy and prospects for institutionalising the benefits ascribed to deliberative democracy. It aims to systematically address fundamental questions about what it means to deliberate using empirical investigation of actual deliberative process. The methods employed have been trialled with promising results and accepted as being consistent with normative deliberative theory. These involve both formal hypothesis testing and qualitative exploration of results to reveal insights about the process of deliberation. The findings will be used to re-examine theory and formulate recommendations for the instutionalisation of deliberative democracy in both Australian and international contexts.
Funding: Australian Research Council - Discovery
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