Wars are increasingly frequent, and the trend has been steadily upward since 1870. The main tradition of Western political and philosophical thought suggests that extensive economic globalization and democratization over this period should have reduced appetites for war far below their current...

In August 2007, the Office of Best Practice Regulation (then part of the Productivity Commission) published its Best Practice Regulation Handbook, containing guidelines including use of a social discount rate of 7 percent real, with sensitivity testing over the range of 3 to 11 per cent (OBPR...