Modern Government

Politics is so often captive to short-term cycles and imperatives.

The distance to the next election can determine whether a particular policy is embraced and, if so, how quickly it needs to be implemented.

Those of us who work in policy advocacy can easily slot into this rhythm too. Talk of ‘windows’ to achieving change and suitable ‘moments’ to push particular proposals are common.

This can be a trap, as constantly focusing on what’s immediate or urgent steals us away from thinking bigger, or thinking differently.

Some balance is required here. Pretending the business of politics and policy development isn’t sometimes governed by short timelines is naive. But, equally, we have opportunities to create space for thinking in longer-term solutions.

This edition is Insight seeks to take a step back.

We ask a series of broader questions about what a ‘modern government’ should look like, regardless of the specific policy prescriptions any particular administration may embrace.

How do we disagree better? How do we marry global goals with local action? How do we combat the growing ‘trust deficit’ in politics? How do we embrace a culture of early intervention? And what role should ‘big data’ play in the governments of the future?

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