Recent national disasters such as floods and fires exposed pressures on community infrastructure and exposed patterns of exclusion, according to ANU research. 

While Australians are broadly supportive of democracy in principle, they are less satisfied with its outcomes, the report released on Thursday found. 

Just under 44 per cent of Australians aged between 18 and 24 agreed democracy was always the preferred option, compared to almost 90 per cent of people aged 75 and over, according to the research.

Just over 80 per cent of people aged 65 to 74 picked democracy in every instance. 

Age wasn’t the only indication of support.

Almost two-thirds of people under 34 with a university degree supported democracy, dropping to one in five for those who hadn’t completed high school or had non-university tertiary qualifications. 

“Once age is controlled for, education is positively associated with democratic support, indicating clear social polarisation by education,” the report states.

Females were less supportive overall, while religious people were more supportive. Residents of outer metropolitan, regional/rural, or remote residents did not differ in their support for democracy from those in inner metropolitan areas.

Migration status also did not have an association. Those born overseas had neither higher nor lower support for democracy than those born in Australia.

People who believed there was a fair distribution of income in Australia were overwhelmingly supportive of democracy (78 per cent), and this dipped significantly for those who believed it was unfair (59 per cent).

Those experiencing financial strain were less likely to be satisfied with the system of government.

“Perceptions of unfairness and limited opportunity further explain variation in support,” the report noted.

Between two-thirds and three-quarters of respondents were satisfied with how the system of government was working according to the poll, taken between October 2024 and after the May 2025 election.

“This leaves almost one-third of Australians that are either ambivalent towards democracy, or sceptical of its benefits,” the report’s co-author Nicholas Biddle said.

The royal commission into anti-Semitism and social cohesion following the Bondi terrorist attack will examine strengthening support for democracy, freedom and the rule of law as a key defence to tackling anti-Semitism and extremist hate.

“For the royal commission, this implies that strengthening social cohesion cannot rely solely on enforcement, surveillance, or post-incident responses to anti-Semitism,” the report said.

“It must also address the structural and attitudinal conditions that weaken democratic legitimacy: educational stratification, persistent financial stress, declining trust in political institutions, and pessimism about social mobility.”

The inaugural McKinnon Index released in November showed Australians living outside metropolitan areas have less faith in democracy than their counterparts in major cities.

The report highlights that young men in rural and remote areas have among the lowest confidence in elections, while young women in regional areas are over-represented in not understanding how democracy works.

An article last month by Monash University academics suggested that while civics and citizenship is a feature of the Australian curriculum that runs through primary and secondary school years, and is aimed at building an appreciation of Australia’s diverse society, as well as students’ skills to strengthen democracy, the latest national testing showed that 72 per cent of Year 10 students are not reaching the proficient standard for their year level, which is the highest rate on record since testing began in 2004. 

It’s not surprising, then, that many federal politicians want civics and citizenship education to be strengthened and standardised.

The authors argued that since the national Civics and Citizenship curriculum concludes in Year 10, young Australians may not have opportunities to learn about specific content concerning democracy, government or civics in the last two years of secondary school unless they enrol in an elective unit such as Legal Studies or Politics.

This, they said, presents universities with an opportunity to be the site of civic upskilling, and that a specialist unit that builds this knowledge through practical volunteering may help support the development of civic literacy in school graduates. 

But what about those students not heading on to university post-Year 12?

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in its January 2025 report, From Classroom to Community: Civics education and political participation in Australia, recommended that a course to prepare senior students for voting be developed.

Over the last four years, Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick has been getting about the country teaching high school students about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament.

University of South Australia Associate Professor Joel Windle said citizenship and civics education in schools is important for learning about the mechanics of voting and the roles played by politicians.

“Young people need to have experiences participating in democratic decision-making processes in schools and other organisations in order to become informed voters in elections,” he told the Independent Education Union in September.

“Such involvement is also important for them to realise that voting is just one way of participating as a citizen, and that there are many other ways to make your voice heard.”

Western Sydney University associate professor Jorge Knijnik also told the union that even young children can benefit from experiencing democracy first-hand, and engaging in decisions that shape their school environment and learning journey.

“Young people have endless access to information, but real democracy requires creating spaces where they don’t just talk about change, they live it,” he said late last year.

“Schools can foster participatory councils where older students can debate, propose solutions and experience the realities of civic leadership.”

Government and employer investment in professional development to upskill teachers and improve their understanding of law, government and politics will be essential to improving student outcomes, Knijnik said.

The Monash team revealed that in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack, research has highlighted that many young people are seemingly attracted to extremist messages.

For example, 39 per cent of boys identified with “right-wing violent extremism”, while 30.4 per cent of girls supported “right-wing beliefs”. 

About one-third of people in anti-extremist programs in Australia are under 18 years old, and with many young people feeling dissatisfied there is clearly a need to better understand what approaches are currently in place, and what more can be done, to support Australians’ appreciation of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and how they can be empowered to make a positive impact on society.

(with AAP)

To read University of Melbourne PhD candidate Scott Arthurson’s thoughts on what kids need to know about democracy, click here.

The Civics and Citizenship Education (CCE) Hub contains more than 200 high-quality teaching resources for teachers across Years 3-10.