Trust in the Australian Commonwealth Government has risen to new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic. With 2020 coming to a close, this podcast explores this year’s increase in political trust, and how trust levels will be shaped in the near future.
In this special episode of the Work with Purpose podcast, we are joined by the Director of Democracy 2025 Professor Mark Evans. He is interviewed by one of Australia’s most distinguished political journalists Michelle Grattan AO.
The two discuss recent global research into perceptions of political institutions, looking specifically at Australia’s level of trust within a global context. Where does Australia sit in terms of political polarisation and support for our political institutions?
Despite the increase in trust we have seen in 2020, the pair discuss the decline in trust prior to 2020, and how Australia can avoid returning to its comparatively low pre-2020 levels.
The pair also explore the changing perceptions toward the Australian Public Service (APS), and what the APS can do to sustain and improve support for Australia’s political institutions.
They identify the key changes that COVID-19 have wrought on Australia’s political, economic and diplomatic landscape. Which of these changes are here to stay, and which will soon be forgotten?
Discussed in this episode:
- How Australia compares to other nations in its levels of polarisation and trust.
- The changing role of the APS, and what caused these changes.
- What caused the increase in trust in 2020, and how Government can sustain it.
- How the APS can contribute to maintaining support for government beyond 2020.