Defending democracy

Despite the welcome defeat of Hungary’s Victor Orban, democracy is under threat and in decline around the world and Australia is not immune from the challenges it faces, so what can be done to revitalise its appeal?

The dire state of global democracy

The collapse of Soviet communism seemed to herald a new age of democracy across the world, but a global resurgence in authoritarianism means democracy is at its lowest ebb around the planet since 1978.

A crisis of truth and meaning

We find ourselves in the midst of a crisis of truth. Trust in public institutions of knowledge are at an all-time low, and blatant liars are drawing political support around the world. It seems we collectively have ceased to care about the truth.

The deep roots of democracy

The ancient Greeks invented democracy – and warned us how it could go horribly wrong.

Could it happen here?

The threats to democracy in the USA are a global issue, and the differences in our media and political systems won’t limit their impact in Australia forever.

Democratic security

In an era where even Australia’s democratic system faces significant challenges, “democratic security” is an increasingly pertinent issue.

The Federal experiment

The formation of modern Australia was a striking incarnation of modern social organisation in combining liberal democracy with carefully planned bureaucracy.

Get the party started

The history of Australia’s political parties is both fascinating and turbulent, but a political system dominated by mass parties shaped by industrial society may now be a thing of the past.

Presidentialism is a fly in the ointment of 21st century democracy

A comparison of performance between countries with Presidential, Parliamentary and Hybrid political systems suggests that any constitutional change in Australia should absolutely preserve Parliamentary predominance, and avoid any possibility of electing a president by popular mandate. Follow the German, rather than the American, model.

Revitalising democracy

Democracy is under threat around the world and while it continues to function well in Australia there are problems that need intervention to safeguard its future.

Power to the person

The recent US election epitomises a shift in public trust from systems and institutions to successful individuals like Elon Musk and Donald Trump; even though there are fewer or no checks and balances on how they may manipulate circumstances for their own personal benefit. The Trump victory is clearly a Trump victory and not a Republican one.

Should a young person’s vote count for more?

To most people, the idea of ‘one person, one vote’ is sacrosanct, but could a case be made that in certain circumstances, some voters should have more of a say?