economics A foray into the world of economics research This article was featured as part of ESSA’s annual Equilibrium publication. During a particularly gruelling stretch of Advanced Microeconomics revision, a friend of mine aptly summed up the Economics Honours year in one sentence: “Honours is equal to life, and by transitivity, there is no more to life”. For
economics The Case for Protectionism and the Subsequent Revolution Welcome to the third and final installment of my series on the history of protectionist policies in Australia! My first article sketched out the political economy theories that can be used to analyse the rationales of protectionist policies, whilst the second outlined the key events in trade protection over the
alfred deakin The Key Events in Trade Protection In the first edition of this series, I examined the political economy theories that can be applied to analyse the rationales for protectionist policies. I also provided a brief overview of the evolution of import protection in Australia throughout the 20th century. This article highlights the key milestones in policy
australia The evolution of import protection in Australia In my next series of articles, I’ll be examining the evolution of protectionist policies in Australia throughout the 20th century. This first article presents a snapshot of the key features of import protection during that period, and explores some political economy theories that we can use to analyse the
economics Economics in a Public Policy Environment: An intern’s Perspective As there are several internship applications currently open (see our opportunities page for more information), I’m deviating from my usual macroeconomic analyses to provide some practical insights into what being an “economic intern” entails. More specifically, this article focuses on how economics can be applied in a public policy
australia Structural Changes in the Australian Economy: Part 2 – The Two Speed Economy (Q&A special) Many of you would be aware that ESSA is hosting a Q&A event on the evening of Thursday August 16th, where our brilliant panel will be answering questions on immigration and the two-speed economy. In honour of Q&A, I have decided to continue my series on structural changes
australia 2012-13 Federal Budget - Beyond Robin Hood and Carbon Tax Bribes It’s Budget time! On Tuesday May 8th, Treasurer Wayne Swan handed down his fifth budget to an eager and expectant crowd of media commentators following a significant lead-up of leaks and speculation. This crowd has since devoured the budget’s contents and embarked upon a reporting frenzy that has
australia Victorian Budget 2012-13: “Living within our means,” but at whose expense? “Living within our means” has become Treasurer Kim Wells’ key selling point for the Victorian State Budget, which is the first to encompass the findings of the Independent Review of State Finances (IRSF). Commissioned by the Victorian Government in January 2011, the interim report concluded that Victoria’s financial position
australia Structural Changes in the Australian Economy: Part 1 Part 1 – The Modernisation of China, Our Commodities Boom, and Structural Adjustment. This article is the first of a series of macroeconomic analyses which I’ll be conducting on the changing structure of the Australian economy. In recent years, economic commentators and policymakers alike have been uttering the words “structural
australia Australia’s Household Saving Ratio – Is the cautious consumer still at large? In recent years, Australian households have been saving a significantly larger proportion of their disposable income than in the previous two decades. Although the December quarter’s National Accounts data revealed a slight easing in the household saving ratio, the overall picture remains the same. Following a significant spike in
