Policymakers concerned about the slowdown in productivity growth since the mid-2000s should consider the role of trust or social capital.

This discussion paper from the Australia Institute outlines how Australia could emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as one of the richest countries in the world, while gaining long-lasting benefits from economic stimulus projects and a renewed faith in the effectiveness of democratic governance.

While many governments already do rely on public health experts for advice and public messaging in health policy-making, studies such as this one provide experimentally validated evidence for the efficacy of involving trusted sources in health policy development, as well as public communication about health-saving...

This report explores practical ways that Australian and New Zealand governments can increase the trust and confidence of their customers in a sustainable way that increases engagement and reduces cost.

The Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program surveyed nationally representative samples of people in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and South Korea about the COVID-19 pandemic. This report outlines the survey findings.

This report compares Australia’s democracy with other nations over four issues: trust, concern about corruption, strength of democratic standards and the depth of liberal values.

Perceived lack of integrity in Australia’s political and bureaucratic processes is partlially due to weak laws regulating the flow and transparency of money in government. This discussion paper includes a 15 point plan to eliminate the undue influence of money in politics.

Quality news is essential for effective participation in democracy and civil society. Ongoing disruption to the media environment has raised concerns over the integrity of news in both online and traditional news sources. This paper flags issues of impartiality and commercial influence as key areas...

The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that despite a strong global economy and near full employment, none of the four societal institutions that the study measures—government, business, NGOs and media—is trusted.

This report presents findings from the 2019 Australian Election Study (AES). The AES surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,179 voters after the 2019 Australian federal election to find out what shaped their choices.