Australia at home
Democracy
The past year appears to have boosted Australians’ preference for democracy. In a November 2020 survey, seven in ten (71%) said ‘democracy is preferable to any other kind of government’, a record high in the 17 years of Lowy Institute polling. The number of Australians who said ‘in some circumstances, a non-democratic government can be preferable’ had fallen 6 points to 16%.
Support for democracy reached a record high during the pandemic
The gap between younger and older Australians on this issue — which has provoked considerable debate since this question was first asked in 2012 — had narrowed: 61% of 18–29 year olds expressed a preference for democracy, compared to 73% of Australians over 30. In 2012, only 39% of 18–29 year olds expressed a preference for democracy, and the gap between younger and older Australians was much larger at 21 points.
Democracy
Now a question about democracy. Below are some statements about democracy. Please indicate which one of the three statements comes closest to your own personal views about democracy.
- 0%
- 20%
- 40%
- 60%
- 80%
In 2020, this question was fielded in a separate Lowy Institute nationwide poll in November 2020: see 2021 Methodology for more information.
Indicates change in mode: see 2024 Methodology.
Australia’s reputation overseas
Australians are overwhelmingly positive about the effect on their country’s reputation overseas from Australia’s handling of Covid-19. Almost all Australians (97%) say Australia’s response to Covid-19 has had a ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ influence on Australia’s reputation in the world. This is almost the same number as those who say Australia has handled Covid-19 very or fairly well (95%). The majority of Australians (57%) say the influence of Australia’s Covid-19 response on Australia’s reputation is ‘very positive’.
The vast majority of Australians also agree that Australia’s diplomatic service (84%), foreign aid program (83%) and defence force (82%) have a positive influence on our reputation overseas.
One area of foreign policy has had a less positive effect on Australia’s reputation abroad, according to most Australians. A majority (54%) say that Australia’s climate change policy has a negative influence on Australia’s reputation overseas. This issue is divisive, however: 44% of Australians think national climate change policy has a ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ influence on Australia’s reputation overseas. This is higher than the number in 2020 (33%) who said in response to a slightly differently-worded question that Australia’s ‘approach to climate change’ had a positive effect on its reputation on the world.
Australia’s place in the world
The ‘Indo-Pacific’ — the region comprising the Indian and Pacific Oceans and connecting seas, has become a strong theme of Australian foreign policy in recent years, and a new question this year sought to probe Australians’ understanding of this concept. When asked to choose three options where Australia belonged out of the ‘Indo-Pacific’, ‘Asia’, ‘the West’, ‘Oceania’, and ‘not part of anywhere’, the majority (62%) select Oceania. A sizeable minority (38%) select the Indo-Pacific. One in three (32%) say Australia belongs to the West, while just 21% say Australia belongs to Asia. One in ten Australians (11%) say Australia is ‘not part of anywhere’.
Coalition government report card
The Australian public give high marks to the current Coalition government for its handling of key Australian foreign policy issues, with two exceptions — China and climate change.
The highest marks are awarded for the government’s response to Covid-19, for which the government scored 7.6 out of 10. Australians also score the government highly on ‘maintaining Australia’s national security’ and ‘maintaining a strong alliance with the United States’ (6.8 out of 10 for both).
Australians are positive about the government’s management of Australia’s economy (6.6 out of 10) and also for presenting a good image of Australia internationally (6.5 out of 10).
In 2015, the question was: ‘In 2015, the Coalition government completed its first year in office. What mark out of ten would you personally give the Coalition Government in Canberra for its performance in handling each of the following issues — with 10 meaning it has done an excellent job and 1 a very poor job.’ Respondents were not able to select 0.
# Note change in mode. See 2024 Methodology.
On the question of China, Australians are more divided, awarding 5.1 marks out of 10 for the government’s management of the relationship with China. As other results in the 2021 Poll show, however, more Australians lay the blame for the relationship tensions on China.
Australians mark the government hardest on the issue of climate change, awarding it a below-average 4.6 marks out of 10 for ‘managing Australia’s approach to climate change’. This is reinforced in other Poll findings, in which 60% say Australia is doing ‘too little’ to combat climate change.