What is the difference between Austria and Australia? Well, when the Austrians recently went to the polls to elect a new president, procedures were so flawed that their Constitutional Court told them to hold the election again. Read more
Do you feel like hissing at the people at the front of the plane when you walk past them to the cheaper seats at the back? If you are in the first class seats, do you cringe as people walk past you? Read more
There was a whiff of Monty Python about the Brexit referendum. In Life of Brian, the People’s Front of Judea asks the famous question: “What have the Romans ever done for us?” As it turns out, very little – apart from providing Judea with sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, public health and peace. Read more
‘Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for life. Give him someone else’s fish, and he’ll vote for you.’ Politicians obviously know about this saying. Read more
If you are above 40, I hope you would have built some financial net worth through hard work and thrift. And if you are under 40, I hope that at least you aspire to build up some savings for a more comfortable retirement. Read more
Imagine if you were buying your first home and the only information you had was what you could see from the outside and through the windows. It may seem odd, but this is largely what happens in our public schools. Read more
It is hard to improve without knowing what better and worse performance look like. Teachers grade students, but who grades the graders? Read more
Our Research Fellow, Martine Udahemuka, talks to Radio New Zealand about our new report, Signal loss: what we know about school performance. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to SBS Radio about Brexit (in German). Read more
Our Research Fellow, Martine Udahemuka, spoke to WTV Channel 28 about our latest report on education, Signal Loss: what we know about school performance. Read more
Wellington (29 June 2016): New Zealand has a mostly well-functioning school system, but there is evidence of stubborn underperformance, a report by The New Zealand Initiative finds. “New Zealand’s economy depends on a literate and numerate workforce. Read more
We all know the observer effect: Behaviour changes when someone is watching. Drivers suddenly become law-abiding near speed cameras or at the sight of a police car. Read more
Appeared alongside Sue Bradford, Auckland Action against poverty. Read more
Over the coming 12 months, Dr Randall Bess will be working with The New Zealand Initiative to research ways to improve the recreational fishing experience for Kiwis. Read more