Governments, academics and communities have defined social cohesion through multiple, overlapping lenses. This paper aims to identify tensions in current definitional frameworks. It seeks to inform policy discussions on how to operationalise social cohesion as part of a wider system approach. The paper summarises four international case studies and measurement approaches, including Australia.

This paper examines democracy as a resilient system, emphasising the role of applied analysis in shaping effective policy and programs, particularly in Australia. It proposes a practical agenda centred on three core strengthening flows of democratic resilience: trusted institutions, credible information and social inclusion.