The Parliament House flag in Canberra silhouetted at sunset (Richard I'Anson/Getty Images)

While faith in democracy is a welcome contrast to declines in the United States, Australia must also be consistently vigilant (Richard I'Anson/Getty Images)

Explaining Australia’s enduring faith in democracy even as the world backslides

Tech disruption and US concerns haven’t dampened Australian enthusiasm for democratic institutions.

Lydia Khalil

16 June 20254 min read

When it comes to Australia’s attitudes towards democracy, this year’s Lowy Institute Poll is a good news story amid a backdrop of global democratic decline. According to the 2025 poll, three-quarters of Australians (74%) say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, a record high. Given that gripes about the system are a feature, not a bug, of democracy, this result demonstrates that despite its faults, Australians fundamentally value and appreciate democracy as a system of government and set of values. Democracy guarantees us freedom to complain about it, and yet, Australians have chosen to look at the glass as half full.

Australia’s democratic stability makes it a welcome outlier as the state of global democracy has grown more discouraging with each passing year. The past two and a half decades have been marked by a steady global democratic decline. According to the latest V-Dem Institute Report, the world has fewer democracies than autocracies for the first time in over 20 years.

There are many reasons for this democratic backsliding, but citizen disillusionment with democracy often plays a significant but often underappreciated role. Citizens must maintain faith in democracy for it to function and thrive. If their commitment to democracy wavers, then democracy is in trouble. If enough citizens don’t think that “democracy is preferable to any other kind of government” then they become vulnerable to populist appeals and support leaders who would violate democratic principles to “get things done” or because they align with their political or ideological positions. If citizen faith in the democratic process wavers, it excuses constitutional overreach and violations. It erodes norms of tolerance against opponents and stokes polarisation. It excuses or justifies violence and corruption as political solutions.

Threats and challenges appear to have renewed rather than diminished Australia’s appreciation of its democratic systems.

The backdrop of global democratic backsliding also makes the Lowy Poll results all the more interesting. One would think that the displays of democratic dysfunction around the world, most notably by the United States, would contribute to a souring against democracy. The Lowy Institute Poll results also stand alongside polling that shows that Australians are growing increasingly distrustful of their political institutions and leaders. A 2023 Australian Public Commission poll similarly shows that Australians highly value democracy but also revealed that half of Australians perceive widespread corruption in democratic institutions and processes.

Democratic backsliding is also occurring in the context of intense geopolitical competition and an assertive China that has invested heavily in promoting the benefits and efficiencies of its nondemocratic political system. The “China model” of state-led market reforms and centralised authoritarian government has been touted as a successful development model. China has worked tirelessly to transform the international system to reduce the influence of democratic and liberal values. That is made all the easier as the United States has engaged in an extraordinary act of self-harm by steadily retreating from defending the liberal international order it created.

The spread of disruptive digital technologies has also harmed democracy. Social media and other digital technology platforms have been contributing factors to the global democratic decline – expanding the scale and spread of disinformation, polarisation, distrust around election results and assaults on privacy. They have enabled digital foreign interference and influence campaigns, while the intersecting dynamics of technological disruption and concentrated power are embodied in a “Big Tech” ethos that has grown more authoritarian. The 2025 Lowy Institute Poll also reflects these concerns. Seven in ten Australians (70%) think social media has a more negative than positive impact on democracy.

But these threats and challenges appear to have renewed rather than diminished Australia’s appreciation of its democratic systems. Perhaps the rapid erosion of democratic norms of our main ally, the United States, and the daily assaults on its constitution under Donald Trump, have put the value and effectiveness of Australia’s own democracy in sharp relief. The Lowy Institute Poll also shows a sharp drop in “warmth” and trust in the United States, but trust, warmth and confidence in China are also historically low and threat perceptions remain high. The merits of its authoritarian, centralised system also took a deep hit during the Covid-19 pandemic and the China model has gradually revealed its flaws.

While Australia’s faith in democracy is a welcome contrast to declines in the United States, Australia must also be consistently vigilant to safeguard its own democracy. Poll results demonstrating Australia’s majority preference for democracy is a solid foundation, but it is insufficient. People might support democratic norms in the abstract but can still support and justify antidemocratic behaviours and leaders.

Australia also faces a stark international context devoid of global democratic leadership. The United States, the traditional global defender of liberalism and democracy, has softened in its support of democratic standards. America is no longer interested in being the protector of the liberal democratic rules-based order under which Australia has benefited enormously. It’s clear that safeguarding democratic principles and norms at home and abroad are becoming increasingly intertwined. It will be interesting to see if these positive feelings towards democracy translate into more robust support for Australia to position itself diplomatically, not just domestically, to champion democratic institutions.