Civic Engagement in Australian Democracy

The Australian democratic system has long been regarded as one of the most stable and predictable in the world, with an entrenched two-party duopoly, compulsory voting ensuring high levels of electoral participation and relatively high levels of satisfaction with the democratic process.Yet the ways Australians engage with, and participate in, their democracy have shifted substantially in recent times.While a record proportion of Australians are now on the electoral roll, less than 1% belong to a political party, and the share of Australians that have always voted for the same party in Federal elections has declined from 72% in 1967 to 37% in 2022.Turnout in the 2022 Federal Election fell below 90% for the first time since the introduction of compulsory voting in 1924.Over 50% of voters cast their ballots early in 2022, up from around 10% in 2004.The advent of social media has afforded Australians a range of opportunities for political engagement but has also given rise to serious conce