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Government and Government Reform
| The equalization of revenue and costs between government and local authorities - an introduction to an Austrian practice |
June 2004 |
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The equalization of revenue and costs has become a topic again. Every four years political representatives of the Federation, the Countries and the local authorities come together in order to negotiate ‘the equalisation of revenue and costs’. This year discussion will be due again as the old treaty will be terminated by the end of the year. But, whilst politicians make public their concepts and demands, for most of those concerned, i.e. the citizens of Austria, this treaty remains highly non-transparent, something, that is assumed to be of importance but cannot be grasped completely. This short review intends to give a survey on the subject ‘equalization’ to any interested non-professional, to inform on its principles, legal basis, most important elements and how it practically works. |
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| The Austrian Convent for a Constitution reform started to work by mid 2003. Now, after several months of the Convent’s work, it becomes evident that many questions raised centre round the problem of how the duties and the rights of the state institutions might be distributed in a new way. To our opinion the key question, which, unfortunately, remains too much in the rear, should be how the Austrians could be given more rights, in order to further develop and strengthen democracy in the country. Consequently, we present our concept of an extension of the Austrian citizens’ social and political rights. Our compilation partially considers constitutions of other European countries, as well as the drought EU-Constitution. The second part of this document deals with the Catalogue of basic objectives of the Austrian Socialist Party (SPÖ).
Download the Report (in German) (PDF) |
| Internet and democracy |
November
2003 |
 To which extent does the internet stimulate a change in policies? Is it apt to positively influence the citizens’ status of information and sense of co-determination and finally democracy? Considering data available and technical status-quo, we may at least draw following conclusions: as a means of communication, the internet is egalitarian and non-hierarchic, working fast and unfiltered. Contrary to the traditional mass media and their tendency to bring people into a passive disposition, the internet is apt to increase active participation but also social segmentation. By means of the internet the levels of information and disinformation grow proportionally. Primarily the internet is privatized and individualized. It enables easy and quick votes on small scales. It may serve as a means to shape public opinion and formulate political demands and objectives. It guarantees a better information management in order to ensure politics be made for the people. It is, however, not a place for democratic political decisions (e.g. by internet election), as no one will be able to set up the necessary safety measures (e.g. for voting) now and for the near future.
Download the Report (in German) (PDF) |
| A crisis of democracy - the future of democracy |
April
2003 |
The ‘Austrian Convent’ is expected to work out in the course of this year a concept of substantial reforms to be implemented in Austria’s Constitution, government and administration structures. The goal of the present document is to make out the major reasons for the present ‘crisis of democracy’, that manifests itself in a lack of enthusiasm about politics and politicians, a decreasing turn-out at elections, a feeling of resignation and helplessness on people when basic democratic principles are gradually suspended. In the second part of the document we outline our concept of how democracy may be developed and renewed within the next years and decades. But no patent remedy can be nor will be offered on our side. A sound democratic system resists simple remedies for the cure of complex problems in the interlinked world of today - and that is, to our opinion, exactly the characteristic of strong democratic rules within a modern and pluralistic society.
Download the Report (in German) (PDF) |
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