The aim of this paper is to use data collected during January 2023 and Australia’s recent history to take stock of Australia’s wellbeing, as well as its attitudes towards key political and social institutions as Australia enters a post-COVID world.

The Australian Leadership Index (ALI) captures public perceptions of Australian institutions over time across three dimensions of leadership for the greater good: Integrity, Contribution and Competence. In this report, the authors provide a snapshot of the ALI's findings on public perceptions of the Victorian government's...

On 2 December 1972, Gough Whitlam led the Labor Party into government for the first time in 23 years with the most expansive agenda for change in modern Australian political history. In this paper, Emeritus Professor Jenny Hocking examines how Whitlam took advantage of the...

What was Australia like before the Whitlam Government? This paper explores that question by homing in on February 1967, the month that Gough Whitlam succeeded Arthur Calwell as Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party.

Over the last few years, the centre-right coalition in the United Kingdom has broadened beyond recognition – illustrated most strikingly by the Conservative Party’s landslide win at the 2019 election. The author of this report argues that the conservative movement’s future lies in paying disproportionate...

In this discussion paper, the author argues that understanding the way things have been done in the past allows the aspiring politician to adopt a state of mind that provides the best guidance for addressing the challenges that lie ahead.

Next25's second 'Navigator snapshot' brings the complexity and diversity of public opinion to the surface through interviews with men and women across age groups. The report reveals who feels their needs are considered by Australia's institutions and how different groups prioritise aspirations for the nation’s...

This guest paper reveals patterns in ministerial leadership styles that have profound impacts on the relationship between ministers and civil servants. The paper identifies two distinct styles of ministerial management and leadership of civil servants – and finds evidence that male and female ministers adopt...

In this research and insights report, the Australian Leadership Index takes stock of the perceived state of institutional leadership for the greater good in 2021. Moreover, it places these results in the broader context of what the Australian Leadership Index has revealed about leadership for...

Representation matters. Within our society a lot of attention is paid to how power is used, and in whose interests, but the issue of who has power is of equal importance. This report explores the path to parliament taken by our current representative members of...

This publication has two key aims. First, it seeks to underline the issues which are dominating this year's campaign, as well as those issues which have generally attracted less attention by the parties and media. Second, it aims to showcase the strength of Monash University’s...

This publication is the first in a series of snapshots drawing on in-depth interviews to investigate some of the most significant findings from the 2021 Next25 Navigator survey.

In this paper, the authors argue democratic reforms to enhance the influence of ordinary and underpowered citizens over public policy are a necessary component of any strategy to recapture lost electorates and reinforce the foundations of democracy.

This paper argues that Boris Johnson should take the steps to establish and enforce the high standards the public expects of the UK government and to help restore trust in public life.

A year after what many considered one of the darkest periods in American history sees the United States experiencing the worst inflation in 40 years, more deaths from COVID-19 occurring during the Biden Administration than the Trump Administration, and its closest allies experiencing 'American-style' protests...

Papua New Guinea, a nation of now almost nine million people, continues to evolve and adapt. Edited by Professor Stephen Howes and Professor Lekshmi N. Pillai, this book is highly recommended for students, policy-makers and anyone interested in understanding this complex and fascinating country.

2022 is shaping up as a pivotal year across the economic and political spectrums and it comes at a critical time, in terms of the need for policy action in Australia. This report argues that governments around the country must make tough policy decisions in...

This report explores how the powerful fossil fuel, gambling and tobacco industries are attempting to take advantage of Australia’s weak integrity laws, thereby distorting the nation's democratic processes, to put profits ahead of society's wellbeing.

This report shows how support for populist politics ‘collapsed’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, but satisfaction with democracy also continued to falter.

Trust between citizens and their governments is crucial for the legitimacy and functioning of democracies. This paper discusses the main determinants of people’s trust in public institutions and their measurement, in times of crisis as well as for a long-term, strong, inclusive and green recovery.

Liberal democracy across the West is under strain. The causes of these democratic challenges are many and complex, but there is a common thread - a decline in political trust. This report outlines four major areas of challenge for policy-makers to focus on to improve...

This report is the first output from Recoded, Next25's ongoing research and engagement program that builds the knowledge and support required to drive action that improves how Australia makes its future.

Governments and societies continue to face the unforeseen and unprecedented challenges of responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, the authors—renowned experts on governance at all levels—step back to understand how governments have operated in developing strategies and programs to address...

In early 2020, the Institute for Integrated Economic Research - Australia (IIER-A), in partnership with Global Access Partners (GAP), embarked on an 18-month long project to consider Australia’s resilience in the face of a changing world. This politically independent effort involved participants from all sectors...

The Chinese Communist Party is at the peak of its power as it enters its second century. This paper examines its evolution over the last 100 years, before turning to its centenary celebrations in July 2021, with Xi Jinping at the helm.