Weekly roundup Saturday 20 July

Building site

An industry crying out for reform

Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.

Economics

Unemployment is still creeping upwards – surely that will satisfy the RBA. Australians are economically mobile, but for how long? Low productivity – the legacy of indolent Coalition governments. What water meters have to do with housing supply. Our poor CEOs struggling to get by on $4 million salaries.

Democracy at home and abroad

How the ascent of populist demagogues in the US and Europe is forcing us to confront the threats to democracy.

Australian politics

Spivs with fingers in the till – the construction industry and sports betting. The lousy deal we have given our kids. Will a visit from a foreign monarch stir the republican movement from its slumbers?

Public ideas

The scientific method applied to the scientific method. The human threat to artificial intelligence. The difficulty of fitting human capital into the framework of economics.

A Punjabi bagpiper

 

If you have comments, corrections, or links to other relevant sources, I’d like to hear from you. Please send them to Ian McAuley — ian, at the domain name ianmcauley.com