This Research Note trilogy (Research Notes 27 - 29, 2001-02) attempts to summarise a large body of literature on conservation, liberalism and socialism.

The Research Note examines the relation between political trust and social capital, and briefly surveys some indicators of their respective levels in Australia. It examines reported declines in political trust and whether this trend reflects a diminution in stocks of social capital in this country.

The 2001 Northern Territory election delivered a completely unexpected upset with the Country Liberal Party (CLP) losing its majority for the first time in the Assembly's history. The election result confirmed a trend of voters deserting the major parties.