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• Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society

This program defends and promotes the traditional values and principles of a free and liberal democratic society and open economy in Australia.

In a related area of research we investigate the place of religion in society.

Lord Sumption speaks at the Centre for Independent Studies
Rule of Law in a Time of Crisis: a conversation with Lord Sumption
Lord SumptionNovember 8, 2022OP191
Lord Sumption became what is widely regarded as a brilliant QC before he served as...
Radical Conservatism: 
Tradition as a guide for managing change
Damien FreemanJuly 13, 2022OP188
This paper revisits conservative philosopher, Edmund Burke, to distil a “cast of mind” — a...
Raging against the past: Guilt, justice, and the postcolonial reformation
Peter KurtiApril 7, 2022AP35

Postcolonial Theory wages relentless campaigns of reformation against Enlightenment conceptions of reason, tolerance, and liberty....

The Threat of Identity Politics
Simon HefferSeptember 1, 2021OP184

Global outrage over the killing of George Floyd by a white policeman in America last...

AP25
Attitudes to a post-Covid Australia
Robert Carling, Simon CowanAugust 26, 2021AP25
This report explores what sort of post-Covid future Australians expect, based on YouGov polling conducted...
The Psychology of Populism: Tribal Challenges to Liberal Democracy
Joseph P. ForgasAugust 19, 2021OP183

The resurgence of both left-wing and right-wing populism presents a serious challenge for liberal democracies....

Happiness, Kylie-style
Steven SchwartzOctober 26, 2001The Age

Just in case any of you are finding the world a little hard-to-bear at the...

Modern perils in a lucky country
Jennifer Buckingham OAMAugust 31, 2001The Daily Telegraph

What is the state of our nation? For the most part, Australians are better off...

Sorry, we’re not a soft target
Helen HughesAugust 29, 2001The Australian

Church and other refugee support groups are absolutely right.  The plight of the boat people...

Tax system that’s stifling the family
Michael DuffyAugust 25, 2001The Daily Telegraph

Everyone knows the family is in trouble these days, but what is not widely recognised...

Laissez faire not fair for all
Steven SchwartzJune 27, 2001The Australian

In a spirited defence of sacked Wollongong University academic Ted Steele, Brian Martin (HES, April...

Communism is dead, but there’s life yet in socialism
Vaclav KlausJune 1, 2001The Australian

Ten years ago I accepted as the title of The John Bonython Lecture I was...

Antisemitism Is Not a Jewish Problem, It’s an Australian Problem | Frydenberg, Finlay & Sackville
Peter Kurti, Michael Stutchbury, Josh Frydenberg, Lorraine Finlay, Ronald Sackville AO KCApril 10, 2026

Michael Stutchbury, Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Studies, opens this panel discussion with...

Australia’s Hate Speech Failure | Dimitri Burshtein
Dimitri BurshteinMarch 31, 2026

The tragic events at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025 expose a deepening crisis in...

Angus Taylor at CIS: Economic Reform, Immigration, and Australia’s Cost of Living Crisis
Angus Taylor, Michael StutchburyFebruary 19, 2026

Speaking at his first address outside Canberra since being elected Leader of the Opposition by...

Education Reform in Australia | Jennifer Buckingham
Robert Forsyth, Jennifer Buckingham OAMFebruary 17, 2026

Join us on Liberalism in Question for an enlightening discussion with Dr. Jennifer Buckingham, former...

Australia’s Liberal Odyssey: Tracing Freedom’s Path
Robert Forsyth, Greg MelleuishFebruary 10, 2026

In this thought-provoking episode of Liberalism in Question, we delve into the rich tapestry of...

Our Civic Compact is Shattered
Peter KurtiFebruary 10, 2026

Explosive 316% Jump in Antisemitic Attacks: Could This Be the End of Australia’s Harmony? Dive...

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM)
Peter KurtiSeptember 25, 2025

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) Review of the definition of a...

Submission to the Senate Inquiry on Information Integrity
Michael StutchburySeptember 12, 2025

On behalf of the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), we are pleased to provide the...

Submission to the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into Personal Choice and Community Impacts 2015
August 11, 2015

The CIS submission into the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry proposed two tightly targeted areas...

Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia
Sara HudsonNovember 17, 2013

To address the underlying causes of Indigenous offending, we need to focus on education and...

Submission to Native Title Leading Practice Agreements Discussion Paper 2010
Helen Hughes, Mark Hughes, Sara HudsonNovember 30, 2010

The Native Title process is only one of the processes returning land to traditional owners....

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