Democratic erosion is the incremental and multifaceted deterioration in the freedoms, guarantees and processes vital to the functioning of democracy. This report argues that democratic erosion is a systems problem that is best understood by applying systems thinking to identify and explore the complex processes and pathways behind the phenomenon.

The survey explores people’s perceptions of different public institutions in their country and the degree to which they trust their government. It showcases evidence on people’s experiences with and expectations of government reliability, responsiveness, fairness, integrity and openness. This country note finds that Australia recorded an increase in trust in the federal government between 2021...

Governments have moved rapidly from experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) to deploying it. But a gap has emerged between governments’ ambition to scale AI and their ability to deploy systems with confidence. This report finds that most governments have established AI ethics principles, governance models or national frameworks. The challenge lies in day-to-day execution.

Political trust is essential to a well-functioning democracy, but it has declined sharply in the United Kingdom over recent decades. To democratise law-making and rebuild political trust – this report makes the case for action in three key areas: rebuilding trust in lawmakers; rebuilding trust in law-making institutions; and extending the role of citizens in...

This guide supports decision makers in the Commonwealth public sector to make decisions that serve the public interest and maintain public trust. It provides practical advice to assist decision makers when faced with ethical dilemmas, to reduce the risk of decision-making being corrupted.