Mort pour la France: conflict and commemoration in France after the First World War

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Learning from history: some strategic lessons from the ‘forward defence’ era

This paper assesses the way the government handled commitments to three conflicts in Southeast Asia; the Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation and the Vietnam War. It then draws some lessons that remain applicable to our current challenges. Overview Australia is currently engaged in a major reassessment of its strategic policy. Those in and around the policymaking process are trying to define the nation’s core values and interests, to identify the most likely threats, and to frame a strategy that will best protect and promote our national security. This is happening at a time when many defence budgets are severely constrained. There are questions about the allocation of roles and resources between the military, diplomatic, intelligence and other agencies. As a lively debate in the ASPI blog, The Strategist, demonstrated, there’s much discussion about the nature and meaning of strategy, and where strategic planning’s to be found in the governmental structure. The paper places our current position in the history of the major phases of Australian strategic policy since Federation. It then examines one of those phases—the years from about 1950 to 1975, when Australia’s strategic concept was often summarised as ‘forward defence’. It also assesses the way the government handled commitments to three conflicts in Southeast Asia; the Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation and the Vietnam War. It then draws some lessons that remain applicable to our current challenges

Challenges of Open Data Quality : More Than Just License, Format, and Customer Support

The research described here was supported by the award made by the RCUK Digital Economy programme to the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub, award reference: EP/G066051/1; and by the Innovate UK award reference: 102615.Peer reviewedPostprin

10 Reasons to Oppose Virginia Sales Tax Increases

Northern and southeastern Virginians will vote in referenda this November to approve or reject increases in the retail sales tax to fund transportation projects. Northern Virginians will decide whether to increase the sales tax from 4.5 percent to 5.0 percent, an 11 percent increase. Virginians in the Hampton Roads area will decide whether to increase the sales tax from 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent, a 22 percent increase. Proponents of tax increases point to unmet transportation needs to support their cause. Yet state spending increased 13 percent in 1999, 7 percent in 2000, and 9 percent in 2001. If key transportation needs have not been met, the problem is not a lack of funds but legislators who have not properly prioritized the budget. If the sales tax referenda are passed, the state government will have a strong incentive to reduce what it would otherwise spend on transportation in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. By some measures, northern Virginia already gets the short end of the stick with regard to the state budget. Tax increases are not just bad budget policy; they are also bad economic policy. Since higher taxes reduce economic growth, an added cost of higher sales taxes would be lower incomes for Virginians. During the 1990s Virginia taxes grew faster than incomes, and local property taxes have soared recently. Even modest restraint in nontransportation spending could save enough money to fund priority highway projects without tax increases. Further, the state could adopt a spending growth cap that channels excess future tax revenues to transportation needs and tax cuts

Sustainable financing for ocean and coastal management in Jamaica: The potential for revenues from tourist user fees

This study explores the feasibility of implementing a sustainable funding mechanism for ocean and coastal management in Jamaica. Results show that tourists are more willing to pay for an “environmental tax” than a general “tourism development tax”. The study found that an environmental surcharge of US$2 per person could generate$3.4M per year for management with 0.2% rate of decline in tourist visitation. Negative impacts from the imposition of additional taxes on annual tourist visitation rates could be minimised by providing information on how the revenues from the tax will be allocated for management activities.Jamaica reefs; Resource management; Coastal tourism; Tourist user fees

Reassessing Malcolm Fraser

Overview: Malcolm Fraser, Australia’s 22nd Prime Minister, died on 20 March 2015 aged 84. This Strategic Insights, drawn from posts on ASPI’s blog The Strategist, examines Fraser’s foreign policy record as well as his approach to defence policy making and his evolving attitude to the US alliance. Fraser reorganised Australia’s defence establishment and the 1976 defence white paper foreshadowed the move towards the defence of Australia strategy adopted by the Labor government in the 1980’s. Fraser’s strong commitment to human rights and his support for the Commonwealth as a useful multilateral forum were enduring features of his prime ministership

Devaluation Crises and the Macroeconomic Consequences of Postponed Adjustment in Developing Countries

This paper develops our analytical model to explore the relationship between the dynamics of macroeconomic adjustment and the timing of the implementation of an adjustment program featuring an official devaluation. The effects of postponing adjustment depend on the source of the original shock, In the case of fiscal expansion, postponement implies a larger eventual official devaluation and greater deviations of macroeconomic variables from their steady-state values. For adverse terms of trade shocks, postponement does not affect the size of the eventual official devaluation, but does magnify the amount of post-devaluation overshooting by key macroeconomic variables.

Facing west, facing north: Canada and Australia in East Asia

This report, published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), calls for Canada and Australia to deepen their regional security cooperation in East Asia. The risk of regional instability is growing, due to China’s re-emergence, continued speculation about US strategic engagement in Asia and increased competition over disputed maritime boundaries. These developments provide opportunities for collaboration between countries like Canada and Australia. Non-traditional security threats, including natural disasters, climate change, food security and cyber security, point to a range of areas where the two countries can work more closely together. The report contains several policy recommendations for Canada and Australia to: strengthen regional security bolster regional governance mechanisms enhance bilateral defence cooperation boost defence industry and economic cooperation

Social Media Data in Research : Provenance Challenges

The work described here was funded by a grant from the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Research Council Social Media - Developing Understanding, Infrastructure & Engagement (ES/M001628/1).Postprin

Exercising Sovereignty and Expanding Economic Opportunity Through Tribal Land Management

While the United States faces one of the most significant housing crises in the nation's history, many forget that Indian housing has been in crisis for generations. This report seeks to take some important steps toward a future where safe, affordable, and decent housing is available to Native people in numbers sufficient to meet the housing needs that exist in Indian country today. This study provides first-of-its-kind analysis of a critical barrier to homeownership on Indian lands. It analyzes the success of tribes that have taken responsibility (in whole or in part) for administering the land title process on tribal lands. It also addresses the challenges those tribes have faced. Section 1 outlines the significant obstacles to homeownership strategies for Native communities. In Section 2, the report delves into the experiences of five tribes that are managing aspects of the land title process in their communities. In Section 3, the report details findings from a site visit and in-depth interview at the Bureau of Indian Affairs regional offices in Portland, Oregon and Aberdeen, South Dakota. Finally, Section 4 of the report draws conclusions and makes specific recommendations about the future of land title processing on Indian lands. This report is the culmination of two years of research funded by NeighborWorks America and Stewart Title Company