Satisfaction with Australian Democracy – Pulse reports

How do Australians’ satisfaction with democracy and their perspective on the importance and performance of key aspects of democracy change across the year and after significant national events?

Australians engage with our democracy in different ways, not only in elections but also through public spaces, volunteering in communities, or engaging with public services. Each of these experiences shape our perspectives on which elements of our democracy are working well and what might be improved.

Trust and Satisfaction in Australian Democracy National Survey

In 2023, the Australian Public Service Commission, in collaboration with the Strengthening Democracy Taskforce, Department of Home Affairs, administered a survey to a nationally representative cross-section of Australians on their attitudes toward democracy, trust in public institutions, and satisfaction with democratic processes.

This survey was administered in June and November and findings are reported in the Trust and Satisfaction in Australian Democracy: 2023 National Survey report.

A core set of questions from that survey, embedded as a module within the ongoing Survey of Trust in Australian public services (TAPS), has formed the basis of the Democracy Pulse reports.

The Democracy Pulse Reports 

Since 2025, APSC, in collaboration with the Office for Social Cohesion, Department of Home Affairs, has provided periodic updates on democratic sentiment, offering regular insights into public attitudes and emerging trends. Together, the reports track changes in satisfaction with democracy, perceptions of institutional trust, and related democratic indicators over time, including after significant national events.