About the blog
Rather than focussing on issues currently in the news, many of the posts on the blog foreshadow or test ideas and analysis for its reports. They are part of the analytical process for Policy Progress’s work programme, as well as being a way to achieve greater awareness about its work.
Policy Progress director David Choat is the principal author of the blog.
The current schedule for the blog is that new posts are published each Tuesday and Thursday.
You can keep up to date with new posts via RSS feed, or else subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, which is sent out every Friday.
Like almost all blogs, the Policy Progress blog welcomes reasoned and constructive comments from readers. We do however operate an active moderation policy.
Policy Progress is about contributing to discussion and idea development within the broad left/progressive movement, rather than the debate between left and right.
We take it as a starting point that the progressive path is a better way forward for our country. Our focus therefore is on the most desirable and effective policy programme for the progressive movement to pursue and for a future progressive government to implement.
Readers from other political perspectives are welcome, but we do not intend to turn this into another forum for partisan combats or debates about this week’s political headlines. Those seeking such a forum are already well-served by other blogs.
All comments are moderated and require approval before appearing on the blog, even if the commenter has had comments approved previously. Apologies in advance if that means your comments do not show up when you’d like.
Moderation is relatively strict, and governed by an intention to focus on constructive discussion amongst progressives. Thoughtful critiques from other perspectives contribute to this; ideological slogans do not. And the moderator’s decisions are final.
The Policy Progress blog intends to make active use of guest posts to broaden and enliven its offerings.
Guest posts will come primarily but not exclusively from a progressive perspective. They will generally be future-focussed rather driven by current debates, i.e. what the next progressive government should do rather than what the current conservative government is doing wrong.
Authors are not restricted by the Policy Progress work programme, but encouraged to write on topics on which they have an expertise and a passion. Nevertheless, posts that deal with (and offer a different, perhaps challenging perspective on) work programme topics are very welcome.
Posts will normally be between 400 and 700 words.
The Policy Progress director has a number of invitations to write a guest post in to various people. In addition, however, readers who are interested in writing a guest post can contact admin@policyprogress.org.nz.
Decisions on whether to solicit a guest post and whether to publish a post once it has been submitted are at the discretion of the Policy Progress director. The director may suggest changes to improve the strength and clarity of a post, or to omit unsuitable content.
Guest posts are usually published on a Wednesday.
Policy Progress does not disclose individual private information from readers, commenters or guest posters to third parties.
E-mail addresses provided may used by the moderator(s) to contact you privately. This may relate to your behavior or other people’s behavior to you on the blog, but sometimes it might just be that we’re really interested in something you wrote.
