Trust and Democracy in Australia: Democratic decline and renewal

This report presents the findings of a national survey (n=1021) that explores the relationship between trust in the political system and attitudes towards democracy. It was conducted by Ipsos in late July 2018 prior to the Liberal Party’s leadership spill. We understood political trust in this survey as a relational concept that is about “keeping promises and agreements” (Hetherington, 2005). The survey questionnaire was based on questions designed by the Democracy 2025 team, and including questions that had previously been asked of similar samples in 2014 and 2016, allowing for time series analysis. The findings from this quantitative survey have also been explored through qualitative focus group research. Key qualitative insights can be found in the substantive sections of the report.