Information Manipulation and Harassment of Local Leaders: Impacts and Implications
Author/editor:Ika Trijsburg, Paul Costello
Year published:2026
The issue of targeted disinformation and harassment of local elected representatives is a local manifestation of broader societal trends. Harassment is enabled by new technologies and capabilities to manipulate information. This includes social media platforms as carriers and amplifiers, and…
Disasters and democratic resilience: evidence suggesting the need for a long-term community approach and new monitoring systems
Author/editor:Briony C. Rogers, Mark Duckworth, Elise Park, Simon Angus, Rebecca Wickes, Marc Ablong, Daniel P. Aldrich and Alex Fischer
Year published:2026
This discussion paper asks two questions: what do we know about how disasters affect social cohesion in Australia, and how can strengthening democratic resilience improve our capacity to prepare, respond and recover? As climate change causes extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts and heavy…
Social Cohesion and Support for Democracy in Australia: Assessing recent polling data and frameworks
Author/editor:Professor Nicholas Biddle and Professor Matthewu Gray
Year published:2026
This paper is the first in a series examining the relationship between support for democracy and social cohesion in Australia. Following the terrorist attack in Bondi in December 2025 targeting Jewish Australians, the Federal Government expanded social cohesion to be a more central policy concern…
Resilient Democracy | Exploring Evidence and Models for Experiential Civic Education Opportunities
Author/editor:Professor Murray Print, University of Sydney
Year published:2026
A Framework for Understanding the Drivers of Cohesion and Polarisation in Australia
Author/editor:Tim Dixon and Nicholas Biddle
Year published:2025
Democracies around the world are confronting rising polarisation, driven by changes in media environments, political incentives, and social fragmentation. Australia has not experienced the severe divisions seen in some comparable democracies, but recent evidence shows emerging risks across…
Artificial Intelligence, False Information, and Electoral Integrity Perceptions
Author/editor:Nicholas Biddle, Svitlana Chernykh, Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca, and Sophie Farthing
Year published:2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming information environments, amplifying both opportunities and risks for democratic systems. Among the most pressing concerns are the ways in which generative AI and digital misinformation may affect citizens’ perceptions of electoral integrity.…
Civic Infrastructure in the Age of Digital Engagement
Author/editor:Peter Lewis, Alex Fischer, Adele Webb, Nicholas Biddle, Sally Cripps, Thea Snow, and Geoff Mulgan
Year published:2025
We are in a race to rebuild trust and meaningful citizen engagement at a time when economic, social, political, and technological forces pull in the opposite direction. Traditional in-person engagement is declining, and government consultation processes are not meeting expectations. At the same…
Mapping Civic Participation Opportunities across Australia
Author/editor:Dr Rouven Link
Year published:2025
Civic participation is crucial for maintaining a healthy democracy, and consequently, enhancing civic participation has become a critical concern for policymakers. Existing research predominantlyexamines how and why individuals participate in civil society, such as through volunteering activities.…
Lessons from the crucible: Options for parliamentary representation, accountability and trust from power sharing situations
Author/editor:Professor Brenton Prosser (UNSW) and Professor Nicholas Biddle (ANU)
Year published:2025
Australia has a long tradition of democratic innovation, with its political institutions evolving alongside shifting social, technological, environmental, and geopolitical conditions. Yet like many peer democracies, Australia is experiencing declining support for major parties, rising electoral…
Attitudes towards migration and the relationship with democratic satisfaction: October 2024
Author/editor:Professor Nicholas Biddle, Professor Ben Edwards, Professor Ian McAllister, and Dr Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca
Year published:2025
This paper explores the intersection of attitudes toward migration and satisfaction with democracy in Australia and Europe, using data from the Australian Social Survey International-ESS (AUSSI-ESS) conducted in October 2024 and the European Social Survey (ESS). The analysis highlights how…