Since the 1970s, most countries in Latin America have made the transition from military regimes to functioning but often troubled democracies. These hard-fought gains must not be reversed, write David Landau, Brian Sheppard and Rosalind Dixon.
Hong Kong earned its stripes as a gateway to the very place and people that many of its citizens are casting as a threat to future freedom and prosperity, writes Laurie Pearcey.
As the federal government announces its first 'repeal day', it's a good time to talk about the 60 anti-terror laws parliament has enacted since 2001. Are they all necessary, asks Fergal Davis.
We could look to Sweden for good design of a unicameral political system with safeguards against the kind of single-party dominance we see in Queensland, argues Fergal Davis.
Minority parties are good for our democracy, because parties forced into coalition do deals in the open. Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd are kidding themselves in their stand against them, argues Lindy Edwards.
My hope tomorrow is that if Australia is successful in rejoining the Security Council, it will help to reinvigorate the UN's global efforts to promote human rights for all, writes Jose-Ramos Horta.
Australians are hungry for some vision in our politics and for some debate on the big-picture questions about how we see ourselves as a nation. But can our politicians deliver, asks Sarah Maddison.
The Egyptian government's response to the killing of Coptic Christians confirms that only military withdrawal will allow the country to attain democracy, writes Dr Anthony Billingsley.
The dramatic interactions between mass media, democracy and the rule of law will be the focus of a major international conference at the University of New South Wales (Sept 5-6).
